


A Mirror Cracked

by firewolfsg



Series: Ravens Saga [4]
Category: Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman | Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-31
Updated: 2013-01-31
Packaged: 2017-11-27 16:41:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/664179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firewolfsg/pseuds/firewolfsg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Where we learn more of the Gallactor Empire, and the mechanisms of this society;  examine the pathos of the Bastard Count, Helm Egobossler; and explore the Ravens’ past as a crisis develops within the Empire.</p>
<p>Unfinished January 1999</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Hunt

_The chase was on. The sound of crashing leaves surrounded him as he urged his horse for more speed. Far ahead of him, Helm could catch fleeting glimpses of his quarry. The white hart._

_When the games keeper told him about the rare creature, Helm knew that he had to have it's head on his wall. The elusive creature continued to race ahead of him, keeping just one jump ahead of his vision._

_{I will have you soon.} He promised himself as he prepared his hunting rifle, {We'll be at the clearing and I'll have you in my sights.}_

_They burst out of the trees together. Helm did not wait for his horse to stop as he leaped off and braced himself to shoot. He had the hart in the cross hairs of his sights as it continued to bound away._

_{Got you.} The rifle cracked._

_A glint of steel caught the bullet and deflected it back at the hunter. Helm screamed when he felt the hot lead rip into his arm. He looked up again in surprise, as a black bird styled figure looked towards him._

_"Raven?"_

_As he watched, the figure changed into the white hart again, and it lowered it's horns to charge at him._

_"NOOOOO!"_

*~*~*~*~*

Count Helm Egobossler sat up in his bed screaming, and Mechandol charged into the room with his sword drawn.

"My Lord!"

The blue hued man looked around him wildly. {A dream. It - it felt so real.}

"My Lord?" Mechandol looked around the room vigilantly, "Are you well?"

"Mechandol? It was - it was only a dream."

"I am relieved, my lord. I feared you were under attack."

"No, no I'm all right." Helm got his breathing under control again, "Mechandol, call in my valet. I'll have no more sleep this night. What is the time?"

"It is 5 of the clock, my lord."

"Thank you, Mechandol. That is all." Helm waved him away as he swung his legs off the bed.

{5 a.m. of the day the Avatar comes to inspect my troops.} Helm thought as he walked towards his wardrobe.

*~*~*~*~*

"God in hell."

"I beg your pardon m'lord?" Mechandol turned to the Count.

"The Avatar brought his Ravens." Helm breathed as they watched the entourage arrive at the steps to the castle.

"Ah ... yes?"

Helm stood mesmerized as the three highest powers of the Gallactor Empire climbed the steps towards him.

Up to then, Katse had always treated him like a minor lord, more often ignoring his traditional invitations. His sudden acceptance of this invitation almost threw him off guard. What more, Helm had not even thought of the appearance of the Avatar's companions.

"He usually brings the Raptors." Helm murmured to himself.

Helm painfully flashed back to the moment when he had discovered the truth. When he had seen the Lady Eagle transform before him and swoop to his aid as Raven 1.

> He had pushed Raven 1 away in confusion when they landed. "Get away from me! What manner of creature are you?!"
> 
> Not too far away, Raven 2 had also landed and settled Berg Katse on safe ground. "They are my creatures, Count Egobossler. And it will be well if you remember that."
> 
> "Abominations." He had whispered as he backed away from Raven 1 in fear and loathing.
> 
> Raven 1's hand held Raven 2 back.

"Abominations." Helm murmured again to himself, he abruptly jerked himself back to the present.

Raven 2's eyes were hard as he approached. Raven 1 had reached behind the Avatar's back to rest a hand on his brother's shoulder.

{I - have got to control my thoughts.} Helm chided himself angrily. {Raven 2 can read my mind.}

"Hail Avatar, scion of the living god." Mechandol announced the formal greeting as the three men came to stop before the Count.

"I greet you, sire. My home is yo-"

"I think we know each other well enough to dispense with the pleasantries, Count." Katse interrupted him, "Please, let us proceed with the inspection and quickly adjourn to the matters at hand."

"Of course." Helm waved a few servants forward, "Let us first show you to your quarters. I have the program of your stay prepared and available for your perusal in your quarters. We would be honored, if you would attend this evening's ball as our guests."

"We would be delighted to attend."

As they walked past him, Helms eyes were once again drawn to Raven 1. His eyes still haunted him. That look of anguish which tore into his heart even as he had rejected the abomination.

Helm looked away quickly. He tried to control his thoughts. Raven 2 was a telepath, he could pick his thoughts out of the air with ease. Helm moved away quickly, he tried to blank his mind, at least until he reached his quarters. There surrounded by psi dampers, he could think in privacy.

*~*~*~*~*

Once in his chambers, Helm headed straight for his private bar.

{Katse! Damn that bitch! She's smirking, I know she is.} Helm poured himself a glass of port, {She's enjoying my discomfort. No wonder she accepted my invitation this time.}

Helm poured the red liquid down his throat, not even paying attention as it dribbled down his chin and onto his white shirt.

{Kitty ... Kitty ...} Helm threw the glass across the room so that he could hear the satisfying crash when it hit the wall, {Damn Katse, I tried not to think of you. I ache to hold you again.}

Helm stared at the port steins as it dribbled down the wall. The color reminded him of a sunset he had once watched nearly a year ago. That time when he had made love to the Lady Eagle on the beach of ...

Helm shook his head and turned away from the wall. "She *doesn't* exist!"

He opened his eyes to find himself facing his reflection in the mirror.

{Ha, Raven 2 would love to spill my blood I wager.} he fingered the port stains on his shirt, {If he could have his way, this shirt would be stained with my blood instead of port.}

Helm shivered involuntarily as he recalled the murderous look in Raven 2's stance that fateful day. Raven 2 would have killed him for sure, if Raven 1 hadn't stopped him.

Helm couldn't believe how long he had carried on the clandestine affair with the Lady Eagle. It was practically an open secret in the castle.

{Dare I say I loved her? Did I truly love her?} Helm reached out to touch a branch of silver orchids which sat on the table in front of the mirror, {She is an abomination ... But, does it really matter?}

{If I really put it all together, it shouldn't have surprised me. The androgyne is the creature of our holy books. Kitty has the tattoo of an Eagle on a vine of orchids. Raven 1 has always *used* the white orchid as his badge of office.} Helm turned the branch between his fingers, {I - I shouldn't have been surprised!}

{A pair of twins who were never together. How we fool ourselves.} Helm put the orchids back into the vase, but he could not remove the image of the orchid from his mind.

For the first time in his memory, the Ravens had not donned gloves. The tattoo was there, for all to see. It must surely have been Katse's orders. The sight of the tattoo of a white orchid on the back of Raven 1's right hand erased any further doubt in his mind that the Lady Eagle and Raven 1 were one and the same.

Unbidden, a memory pushed it's way to the surface, and Helm could do nothing to halt the onslaught of images, which forced him to acknowledge them.

Helm squeezed his eyes shut in memory of the first time he had seen the full back tattoo. It was at a ball that Katse had attended, not more than three years after the death of the previous Count. The Avatar's entrance, with his two beautiful ciphers, was the highlight of that entire evening.

*~*~*~*~*

>   
> The first public appearance of the Raptors had occurred at the said ball. The taller of the pair was a brunette, wearing a halter neck gown of blue silk, which was secured with a collar of diamonds, leaving her back and arms bear. The objective was of course to focus all attention on the tattoo of a condor resting on a rose vine, which graced her back.
> 
> One tendril of the vine reached over one shoulder and down the arm to end in a blue rose on the back of her left hand. She wore a silver arm cuff on her right arm, on the back of which was three black feathers. Dangling teardrop diamond earrings framed a face, which was delicately painted, accentuating the beauty of her liquid blue eyes.
> 
> Her frosty maned sister wore a white gown of similar cut, with a collar of blue sapphires. She had a tattoo of an eagle resting on an orchid vine. The motifs were the same as she had a white orchid on her right hand. Three silver bracelets adorned her left wrist, which tinkled musically as she glided across the room.
> 
> Her face was framed by blue sapphire teardrop earrings, which paled in comparison with the ocean blue depths of her eyes. This second girl had much longer hair, which she wore in two coils of braids, artfully secured by disk like white pins.
> 
> At first glance, Egobossler remembered having dismissed them as no more than children. He had then given them what he thought was a generous presumption of age 14.
> 
> But there was not one man in the ballroom that could take their eyes off those beautiful nymphs, and he was no exception. It was infuriating the other ladies of the ball.
> 
> Katse's companions were neither well endowed, nor were they spectacular beauties. However, their waif-like sex appeal was electrifying. And through the evening, it was clear that they exuded in their every movement and bearing, the epitome of grace, and good breeding.
> 
> Later, when he could force himself to look at them clinically, Helm perceived that they were not merely window dressing. The Count had to concede that they could be at least 16. Their build leaning more to that of a female body builder. There was a wiry strength in those graceful limbs, and their lithe figures and catlike grace suggested trained warriors, ready to defend against any attack.
> 
> Katse was of course enjoying the fuss surrounding his companions. When the dancing began, the girls were immediately lead away by numerous suitors. This left a lot of disgruntled, more well endowed, ladies making snide comments about cradle snatching suitors.
> 
> "You seem interested in my Raptors, my dear Count."
> 
> "You've never brought these -- Raptors to my court before, Katse-sama. I was just noticing how delighted the gentlemen were." Egobossler laughed, "I must wonder aloud though, where you've been hiding these ravishing creatures. They are explicitly yours?"
> 
> "Yes, and I do not share."
> 
> "Katse-sama, surely they are not so important to you that you would not lend them out to be sampled?"
> 
> "I am a selfish man, my dear Count."
> 
> They had changed the subject to other matters, but Helm had found his eyes being drawn back to the dance floor. He just could not take his eyes off the girl with the eagle tattoo. Katse of course noticed his distraction.
> 
> At the end of the set, he had called his companions to him and asked them to entertain the audience with a song.
> 
> Egobossler leaned back his head and groaned at the memory.
> 
> They had looked on curiously as Condor borrowed a harp from his orchestra and started to play, as her sister lifted her voice in song.
> 
> _* I could build a mansion, that is higher than the trees,_
> 
> _* I could have all the gifts I want, and never ask please._
> 
> Helm lingered over the memory of that sweet angelic voice.
> 
> _* I could fly to Paris, accept my vacant home,_
> 
> _* Why do I live my life alone, with nothing at all._
> 
> Her eyes had turned to meet his for a moment before she started on the chorus.
> 
> _* But, when I dream, I dream of you._
> 
> _* Maybe someday you will come true._
> 
> _* When dream, I dream of you._
> 
> _* Maybe someday, you will come true._
> 
> If Egobossler was to pin point a moment, when he thought he had fallen in love with the creature Katse called his Lady Eagle. That was the moment, which would stand out. The ache in his heart cried out to him as he clutched at the thread of the fading memory.
> 
> _*I can be a singer, or the clown in any room._
> 
> _*I can call up someone, to take me to the moon._
> 
> _*I can put my makeup on, and drive a man insane._
> 
> _*I can go to bed alone, and never know his name._
> 
> He thought he knew her then. A half-forgotten face in his past. He seemed to remember that she was once his half brother's companion.
> 
> _* But, when I dream, I dream of you._
> 
> _* Maybe someday you will come true._
> 
> _* When dream, I dream of you._
> 
> _* Maybe someday, you will come true._
> 
> And he remembered his promise to himself that he had to possess her.  
> 

*~*~*~*~*

Evening descended upon them too quickly. The highlight of the ball brought all attention to the throne, as the Count prepared to announce the creation of the new medal, the Silver Cross.

Helm was watching the Ravens from the corner of his eye, even as he pinned the Silver Cross on the boy's chest, a medal to honor the 'Gallactor Empire's Most Distinguished Fighter Pilot'.

Helm noticed Raven 1's gesture to hold Raven 2's move. But he thought nothing of it except to wonder why they would choose to display an action of communication between them. Normally, when the Ravens conversed, others would not notice since they had no need to speak. This was the first time Helm could recall seeing such a collection of blatant actions of communication between them.

Helm thought no more about the action. His mind was quickly drawn to other things.

*~*~*~*~*

Through the rest of the evening, Helm tried his best to give Berg Katse his full attention, but every now and then his eyes would be dragged back to the dance floor where the Ravens danced with the court ladies.

"You seem interested in my Ravens, my dear Count?"

Helm was shocked back into the present by the comment. He hadn't noticed his preoccupation.

"You've never brought your Ravens to my court before, Katse-sama. I was just noticing how delighted the ladies were." Helm coughed uncomfortably, "Pre -- Previously, they were most disgruntled when you brought -- the Raptors."

"Such a pity you can't ask for a dance."

Helm smile was strained as he tried to control his anger.

"Have the Raptors been well?" Helm asked tightly, "The gentleman of my court have sorely missed their attendance."

"No more than now when the ladies are such entertained, I wager." Katse laughed, "I see the minor lords are disgruntled with their ladies."

"Might -- we see -- the attendance of the Raptors?" Helm forced out the question between clenched teeth.

"Perhaps. But you must ask the Ravens when their sisters would care to appear."

"M'Lord perhaps you would like to tell our Avatar of the young lad whom you gave the medal this eve." Mechandol quickly suggested.

"Yes, of course. Go bring the lad so he may be properly introduced, commander." Helm flashed Mechandol a grateful look for the much-needed distraction.

"Our candidate for the medal is a fine lad, Katse-sama." Helm told the Gallactor proudly, "Why at his tender age of 19, he has already risen to the rank of squadron leader."

"How interesting, but a war can be expected to make man of boys."

"I discovered him myself when I was making the rounds of the surrounding villages." Helm went on, it was getting easier to distance himself from the dance floor, "The boy, Justin's village was so poor that the brogues would come to his village for entertainment. Throwing pennies on the ground, just so they could watch the townspeople scramble for the worthless coins. He never made a move to follow them. Even at such a young age, Justin was much too proud to beg."

"I noticed that, and he did not even show a sign of fear when I approached him. I knew then that what ever his current circumstances were, dignity and courage ran through those veins. I knew that he would make a fine soldier."

Mechandol was swift to appear with the youth Helm introduced as Justin.

"You don't appear to be enjoying your ball, Justin?" Helm frowned as the youth strode towards them, "What is on your mind?"

Justin fingered the medal, which he wore over his left breast.

"Forgive me, my lord. I have struggled so long to achieve this honor, that for a moment, I -- I found myself at loss to consider what my next goal will be."

"But, you have made a goal for yourself now?"

"Yes m'lord." Justin puffed out his chest in pride, "I have set my next step."

"Please, don't leave us in suspense." Katse waved at him.

"I will take down the Kagaku Ninjatai leader, Falcon Sam in aerial combat."

Silence met his words.

"I am able-"

"No one questions your ability, Justin." Helm interrupted, "I instead wish to point out our rulings against personal vendettas. Should you *chance* to meet the Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman in a dogfight, I would be ecstatic if you shot him down. However, I would not expect my squadron leaders to deliberately go out to pick a fight just to meet him."

"Understood, m'lord." Justin snapped to attention.

"Children," Katse sighed as Justin disappeared into the crowd, "Put a medal on their chest and they think they can take on the world."

"My dear Count, I confess I do not know of your squadron leader's ability, however, I would not judge him able to face the deceased Red Impulse Captain in a dogfight."

"I admit my concurrence with your judgment, Katse-sama. However, with Kentaro Washio's death, Falcon Sam is now the acknowledged Air Ace of the United Nations." Helm nodded, "With some maturity, I believe Justin could be his equal."

"Perhaps." Katse smiled enigmatically as he looked towards the dance floor.

Helm steadfastly refused to let his attention stray, as he focused the rest of the evening to the agenda for the next day.


	2. Misery

Helm's headache was in full force before noon. The servants watched him nervously as he drank without care and allowed the port to slosh over his clothes. He was downright miserable and *drunk* as he fingered the locket on his chest. A flick of his thumb opened the locket to let him gaze owlishly at the image of his mother.

"Mother, ya must be soooo proud of your addle-headed son. Made a fool of himself again. Yeash, he did." Helm leaned his head back and poured the port from the bottle straight into his open mouth.

"Big idiot," he hiccuped, after he swallowed that mouthful of alcohol. "Ya wanna know why, mother?"

Helm looked at the small portrait in the locket again. He retained enough sense in him to snap it closed before he stained the precious picture with the port.

"Yup! Yup... yup... yup... Well, day started innocently enough, ma. Had a troop inspection at dawn, out... oh, outside somewhere... outer reaches. Had the whole sche--schodu-- day mapped out, mother. It was going to be ferpect-- er... perfect. Was gonna dazzle the leaders... show them my mila--mili-- the soldiers, my proffat--professional soldiers.

A *fool* I made o' meself! Chasing some damn skirt! 'cept he don' wear a skirt. Some dream... night--nightmare."

Helm's eyes were glazed over with drink as he studied the locket in his hand. "Haven't really talked much, have we, mother? Probably don't know what I'm talkin' about.

Is she a devil or a demon?" he sang to himself, "Ya son fell in love, mother! Broke his black heart over an abomin-ana-na-tion-ation." He covered his eyes with his sleeve and started to cry softly.

Silently, so as not to disturb the Count, Helm's valet crept into the room, and placed a steaming pot of latte and a coffee service on the table in the room. He then proceeded to remove the other bottles of liquor and managed to creep out again before the Count noticed his intrusion.

As the door closed, Helm moved his arm away to tip the bottle of port over his mouth once more. The expected splash of liquid did not greet him. He opened an eye, gazed owlishly at the empty bottle in annoyance and cursed. His curses increased in volume and vehemence when he discovered his valet's duplicity.

"See ma? Can' trust no one no more. Even my valet plots 'gainst me." Helm lurched towards the coffee service and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Bless him, father--I have sinned!"

Fortunately for Helm, he retained enough presence of mind not to gulp down the coffee and burn his tongue. He grimaced slightly at the strength of the brew, but it was doing its job.

"Thick enough ta stand a spoon. Good ol' Andre."

His common sense started to dribble back into his brain as the coffee worked its magic. He thought about how the morning had started, when he first discovered Raven 1 missing from the inspection party he was about to bring out to view his perimeter defenses.

"Should have left well enough alone, mother. Ol' Sword Fist wasn' goin' ta join the inspection, should have left Mechy ta watch 'im. Crazy idjot I was, I stayed behind and sent ol' Mechy boy ta esco--escat-- show ol' purple puss an' Gunner Rave around." 

He stared belligerently at the coffee before taking a gulp of the cooled blackness. He managed to pour himself another cup without spilling too much on the table.

"Weren' foolin' no one. Bitch! Could see right through me. Didn't say nothin' much. Just 'happy huntin'.' Bitch! 'course ol' Gunner Rave weren' too happy. I didn't care! Not too smart o' me heh, ma? Kid would soon as rip my guts out, giv' half a chance...

'Happy huntin'?" Helm snorted as he downed another cup of coffee. "My own castle! An' it still took me a good two hours ta track him down. Two hours!"

Helm's hand came to fondle the locket again. He sighed to himself piteously. "This Raven's not the telepath, but 'e still did a good job o' avoiding me in my own castle, mother. So what did I do when I found him? Nothin'."

"Yup, ya heard right, ma. Nothin'. Was too much o' a coward." Helm grimaced in pain as an image came unbidden to his mind again of having finally caught up with the elusive Raven 1.

It had crushed his heart to see Raven 1 then, standing in his pristine white dress uniform, at a full-length window in a shaft of sunlight. The youth had stood with eyes closed, face upturned and lips slightly open as if to let the sunbeams kiss his face.

It was a perfect mirror of that one moment so long ago, when he had stumbled upon the Lady Eagle and the Lady Condor standing at those same windows. They were initially unaware of his presence as they lost themselves in that unguarded moment of silent communion with the morning sun.

In the silence of the morning, they had presented to him an ethereal image of lithe figures basking in the gentle warmth of the golden rays. At that time, his eyes had been immediately drawn to the image in white and his eyes drank, in breathtaking silence, of the celestial image in white and sunlit gold. Unfortunately, it was a moment that was far too short, since the Raptors became aware of his presence and moved away.

He had wished so much to see that ethereal image again. And here, his wish was half answered. But this was a *man* in pristine white.

"Couldn' speak, couldn' breathe--I--I just had ta get away from him, mother. I almost ran away.

He saw me, o' course. Hard ta miss someone if that someone's been chasing you around the castle the whole mornin'. I-I almost took a step back, then." Helm shuddered. "You have ta understand, mother. His eyes... his eyes were like ice. I'd swear, they seemed to pierce into me. So cold, it's enough ta give you frost bite just lookin' at you.

'least Raven 1's not telepathic. That was my only succor, mother. If he even had any idea of the thoughts that were running through my mind at that point... Didn't know if I could do what was necessary then. Kept reminding myself again and again that I was facing the Lady Eagle. In another form but it's the same person.

Mother, I--I need Raven 1 on my side. I could not allow myself to antagonize him. I know his power in the Empire. Katse's domination is built on the strength of his Ravens. The masses may be deceived, but I know. If Raven 1 held any grudge, I would still be wasting away in the dungeons.

If I am to eventually ascend to omnipotence in the Empire, I have to win Raven 1 away from Katse's side. The Lady Eagle had been a bonus. I thought she could influence Raven 1, but they are one and the same, mother.

So, I forced myself to face him and it *was* getting easier. The resemblance was there. The shape of the jaw was similar... The Lady Eagle had fuller lips, longer lashes... Her snow-white hair was her best feature, mother. She'd do it up in long braids and she'd also use them as weapons. The UN army learned early on *never* to try to grab her braids. The sadistic little minx wove razors into those braids that will rip a man's hand to shreds."

Helm smiled dreamily to himself as he conjured an image of the Lady Eagle in his mind. A pale, slender slip of a girl, with sparkling blue eyes and trailing white braids. Helm like it better when she wore her hair in three braids and let the center braid hang down at a floor sweeping length, instead of the single thick braid that she frequently wore for combat.

When artfully pinned with her white shuriken disk pins, her hair perfectly framed her pale face to bring out the color of her bright blue eyes. Having cut his thumb once on those sharp little pins, Helm had to marvel how she managed to pin up her hair without accidentally cutting off the braids.

Helm mused over his preference since she only wore three braids during social events. The single braid was much too versatile, even if wearing it thus meant she had to carry it coiled at her belt like a whip.

Then, there were the rare occasions when she would wear her hair loose and caught only in a white disc-like hair clip, secured halfway down her back. In those instances, she would carry her hair draped over one arm, or even drape it over a shoulder so it would teasingly cover half her body.

It was those precious moments when she let him run his fingers through the silky strands without fear of shredding his hands... When she allowed him a glimpse of her as a vulnerable, shy, young gir-- An image of the blackbird-styled Raven 1 intruded on his reverie.

Helm closed his eyes in pain. "But she is also Raven 1, mother. She is not always a woman. And as I faced him, I wondered how he could have hidden that slip of a girl in that ramrod straight man.

The tightness in my chest reminded me to breathe again. I don't remember how long I stood there, mother, but when I came to my senses, he had already walked away. I ran down the corridor to catch up with him again, I couldn't let him get awa--"

Helm drew his hand down his face. He was sober. The coffee had accomplished its purpose. He looked around him and felt very foolish for his soliloquy. He usually never spoke aloud in these conversations with his mother.

"Something else to add to the castle gossip, I suppose." Helm muttered sourly before he downed the last of the coffee.

He glanced at the clock and sighed in relief. At least he'd have the time to clean himself up and get ready for the afternoon tour. That was going to be a lengthy affair since they needed to fly down to the Pacific Knolls. The tour would probably see them back to the castle in the evening if they arranged to leave right after lunch.

He had much to prepare before they left, but Helm still didn't move from his seat. He was still feeling too miserable about the morning's debacle.

> It had taken him almost an hour to track down the elusive Raven 1 again, but that second meeting was no better than the last. Again, he had been tongue-tied. Again, he found himself holding down his bile as he faced the formally dressed Raven. It was easier though, the revulsion had faded much quicker. Helm was seeing her instead but he still could not speak.
> 
> There was still the differences... the hair for one. Now that he had the time to study him, Helm could see that Raven 1 only had shoulder length hair. But that confused him. Helm couldn't reconcile this with the trailing, more than floor length, hair of the Lady Eagle.
> 
> He thought back to his previous glimpsed images of the Ravens when they were in dress uniform and frowned as he raked his memories for older details. Raven 1 never wore his hair at a discernable length before. Previously, its length would be concealed in the hood and cowl of his cape. This was the first time he could recall actually seeing an edge to his hair.
> 
> Standing before the silent Raven, Helm had wished he hadn't been so hasty as to abandon the inspection party to stay in the castle. He wished that he was out with the Avatar and Raven 2 looking over his perimeter defenses, instead of standing in the presence of the male form of his former lover. He didn't want to let Raven 1 walk away from him again but he also didn't know what to say to him.
> 
> "This game of cat and mouse grows tiresome, Count Egobossler." Raven 1's smooth baritone brushed his senses, reminding him gently of the silky, higher pitched purr of Lady Eagle. "If you wish to speak to me, do so or leave me be. I mislike your constant surveillance."
> 
> "Raven 1... I-I-I thought we might discuss this afternoon's inspection of my Pacific Knolls base."
> 
> Helm hated himself for his cowardice. There was that almost imperceptible flicker of amusement in those blue eyes. A familiar gentle laughter, which once made his heart soar but which now caused confusion to reign within him.
> 
> "If it pleases you. I imagine the Avatar and my brother shall soon be returning from--"
> 
> "My lords!" A soldier came running down the corridor. "The Avatar's party has been struck down!"
> 
> "What?!" Raven 1 was briefly surrounded by a blinding white glow as onyx wings flared into existence and a fully armed Raven 1 stepped into command of the crisis. "Report, soldier. What forces were deployed? What became of the armed squadron we had as escort? They should have sent word before the attack was engaged!"
> 
> "T-th-th-the-- " Faced with the imposing sight of the blackbird-styled figure, the soldier was suddenly tongued tied.
> 
> "Soldier, I am not the telepath." Raven 1's voice unexpectedly took a gentle tone as he gripped the soldier about the arms. "I cannot read minds. Take a deep breath, look up at me and report your information."
> 
> That sudden show of kindness was enough to return the soldier his backbone and he quickly related what he knew.
> 
> Just scant minutes later... Raven 1 had the troops in Count Egobossler's castle scurrying about in a hive of activity.
> 
> Raven 1's own personal jet was prepped and ready for take off as the Avatar's right arm advised the generals of one of Helm's reserve battalions, to follow the Raven Wing as quickly as possible to reinforce the front line. A new squadron was refueling and arming for engagement, but Raven 1 wasn't about to wait for them when the Avatar and his brother were in danger.
> 
> And so it was that Helm found himself standing alone on a balcony, cursing himself for being all kinds of fools as he watched the Raven Wing lift off to rescue what was left of the inspection party. He had completely forgotten Raven 1's whispered reputation and skill in a Dogfight. His memory lapse, unfortunately, also covered Raven 1's little used rank of Wing Commander.

Helm bitterly recalled his abundant praise of that young pilot Justin, for becoming the youngest squadron leader the Gallactor Empire had ever honored. Clearly, he had been in error for not checking his facts first.

The Ravens were the prodigies of the Avatar. Their military titles were not conferred status symbols but earned positions. *And* they were positions earned before their age was acknowledged at 18 years. Raven 1 had himself risen to the rank of Wing Commander at Justin's age.

Sometimes, it was all too easy to forget that Raven 1's acknowledged rank of 'Overall Field Commander' was a title conferred on him to consolidate his other military posts. It was *not* something given to him because of his favored position as the Avatar's right hand. Raven 1 carried on those young shoulders more responsibility than Helm would ever consider Justin capable of comprehending.

Helm stared at the coffee dregs in disgust. {Raven 2 must have thought that I was trying to insult his sibling yesterday by giving the Silver Cross to an unknown fledgling of a pilot.} Helm chewed on his lower lip. {I am such an idiot!}

If this had occurred at another time, Helm would have applauded Dr. Nambu's character reading skills. It was laughably easy for Falcon Sam to lure his overly eager "Gallactor Empire's Most Distinguished Fighter Pilot" away for a private duel, leaving Justin's squadron to floundered and fall to a sneak attack. But as Raven 1's personal fighter, the Raven Wing, disappeared into the sky, Helm was much too wrapped up in his own misery to appreciate the canny security chief's genius.

Why should they be surprised that the ISO found out about the inspection tour of the battlefront? It must have been much too easy for Falcon Sam to lure the corky new squadron leader from his post.

Helm closed his eyes, feeling the weight of depression sink over him. Abandoning a post meant an instant court-martial. Inexperienced though he was, Justin should have known better. Justin's squadron was destroyed in his absence, though the timely arrival of the Raven Wing saved the Avatar and Raven 2 before they were overwhelmed by the UN forces.

After reinforcements to the front line were in place, the inspection party had returned to the castle under the guard of the Raven Wing. Raven 1 had stayed only long enough to speak with the Avatar and his brother and wait for the Raven Wing to refuel and rearm before taking off again. This time to chastise the errant duo for engaging in a private vendetta. Helm and Mechandol had followed at a distance on the ground.

Helm glanced at the table to stare at the medal of the Silver Cross, which he had retrieved that morning.

From snatches of the radio conversations, they had heard Raven 1 order Justin back to face court-martial charges for abandoning his post and endangering the life of his superior officers. Justin had protested the order and requested the opportunity to conclude his dogfight with Falcon Sam.

What followed was probably the most uneven battle in aviation history. Helm found himself a witness to the most amazing display of aviation combat that he had ever been privileged to see.

Raven 1 issued his challenge to both the pilots and then proceeded to fly rings around the hapless duo. Helm knew of Raven 1's skill by reputation only, but even the whispered reputation could not match the displayed skill and the apparent ease with which Raven 1 demolished the two pilots.

Helm saw Falcon Sam eject to be picked up by the New God Phoenix, but Justin went down with his fighter. He was dead when Mechandol and Helm reached him. A cursory view of the fighter's damage told them that Justin should have had ample time to eject before the crash.

Helm took the medal of the "Gallactor Empire's Most Distinguished Fighter Pilot" from Justin's hand before Mechandol flamed the remains of the fighter. Helm assumed that the boy wouldn't have objected. At the last, Justin had acknowledged that he wasn't worthy of that title. The boy had ripped the medal from his chest before he crashed.

Helm fingered the medal before he dropped it into his pocket and pulled himself back on his feet. There was still the afternoon inspection to get through.

He'd make it... somehow.

*~*~*~*~*

Berg Katse was alone with his thoughts as he stalked the lonely corridors of the castle, closely followed by his bodyguards. He was gloating.

{Ahh the irony of the situation. In days long past, I had tried everything at my disposal to separate my Eagle and the Count, and failed. Apparently, my little Eagle has shown himself to be adept at avoiding him in his own castle.} Katse chuckled to himself. {The Count still cannot abide to be anywhere near Raven 1. Even I can sense that. Ahh, my Condor must see so much more. And it takes all of my Eagle's will to hold his brother in check around the bastard. By the end of this inspection jaunt, Raven 1 will be firmly back in my control.

One more test will seal this kismet. I might even be lucky if either of my Ravens kill the Count before the end of the day. I wonder how the Count squirms now to be thrown in close contact with Raven 1 through the inspection of the new base.}

A thought briefly touched his mind of his Ravens' smothered displeasure to be separated for an entire afternoon, but Katse did not let it concern him. Contrary to Rafael's writings, he had separated the Ravens before with no observable ill effects. And just that morning, Raven 1 had stayed behind at the castle rather than accompany them on the inspection of the front lines.

In retrospect, this proved to be fortunate since he was then able to rescue them from a UN ambush, in the Raven Wing. However, Katse had to admit to being slightly troubled over how run down his Eagle was looking that day. Still, Katse wanted his Raven 1 and the Count to squirm in each other's presence for the afternoon. He promised to remind his Eagle to attend to his treatments with Sosai X when they returned to their citadel.

It suited the Avatar perfectly to know that separation could throw his Ravens slightly off balanced when parted beyond their one-kilometer range. However, other than the inability to shape shift and a slight impairment of their mental abilities, his Ravens did not appear to be in any danger of collapse, as Rafael's reports warned. Besides, they could never remain apart for too long; it made them short tempered, extremely irritable and rather unpleasant company.

Katse made a rude noise of frustration as he entered another room and still did not find his quarry. Raven 1 and Count Egobossler had left hours ago for the afternoon inspection of the Count's Pacific Knolls base. Unpleasant company or not, Katse was *still* wandering the castle looking for his second Raven.

Katse examined another three rooms before he finally found his blackbird-styled quarry in the study. He sighed with disappointment to note that his Raven 2 was most assuredly in male form.

Katse dismissed his guards and pointedly indicated that he did not want them to wait for him, or stand guard outside the study while he talked to his Raven. With the guards safely sent away, Katse entered the room.

Raven 2 didn't even turn in his direction to acknowledge his entrance. He was annoyed with the Avatar and Katse could guess why.

"You're angry with me, aren't you, Condor," Katse asked as he embraced him from behind.

"You are *so* perceptive, Katse-sama." Raven 2's tone was rather biting.

"Come, lover, you know Eagle and I delight in baiting each other. It's all harmless."

"What you did wasn't baiting. It was downright malicious and you know it."

"He'll live." Katse's teeth worked through the reinforced leathers of the cowl as he attempted to nibble at his Condor's neck.

He knew all the buttons to push. Despite the thickness of the bird-style, there was enough of a tickling sensation to start Raven 2 giggling in spite of himself. Katse closed his eyes to the blue glow as he felt Raven 2 lose the armor to accommodate him and took full advantage of the greater access to nibble at his ear.

Condor sighed as he turned within Katse's embrace to face his leader. "I wish you'd stop sniping at him."

"I'm sorry, lover, your sibling just brings out the worst in me," Katse murmured as he bent his face closer for a kiss.

"Who said I forgave you?" Condor shoved him away hard enough to make him land on his rump.

Katse only stared up at him in shock for being denied a kiss. "Well, excuse me. I'm sorry, okay?"

"You don't mean it and you know it." Condor turned his back on him again. "You know very well the tension between the Count and my sibling."

"Look, dear one." Katse scrambled back to his feet and gathered his Condor in his arms again. "I'll try to make amends. Really I will. You know why I staged the coup in the first place. You always know my mind. I did see the hurt in her eyes. So I hurt Helm in the only way he'd understand, I took away his power. I thought Eagle would appreciate it."

"My sibling has no thirst for revenge. And it was a stupid move. In the end we had to rescue the bastard anyway to remove that useless popinjay of a leader."

"So I erred. It worked out eventually. The Count will not dare secede from the Gallactor Empire now to establish his own rule. Strutting Raven 1 around was to remind the Count that he has no influence in my court."

"And you're a liar." Condor twisted out of his embrace. "You brought us here to hurt my sibling. To force him to see how humans react when they know our true nature. You wanted to reinforce our dependency on you by making him see the loathing in that bastard's eyes."

Condor turned to face him again and his eyes were like steel as they bored into Katse's skull. "You wanted to make sure we know *exactly* who we *belong* to and that there will be no one else we can turn to if we ever choose to betray you. Ha! That shows how much you really understand us. We'd never betray you, Katse-sama. I thought you intelligent enough to know this."

Katse was shocked that his Condor had seen through his duplicity so easily. He was careful and had thought that he'd schooled himself to keep these thoughts out of his mind so that his telepathic Raven would miss them.

"I don't need to read your thoughts to know the truth, Katse-sama." Condor's eyes were dangerous as he looked at him. "I can draw my own conclusions without my sibling."

"I'm sorry." Katse couldn't face the accusation in his eyes anymore. "I--I've been... I will make it up to her. I will make my peace with Eagle."

"Will you?"

"I will, Condor. I was-- "

"Wrong? Obtuse? Callous? Malicious? Heartle-- "

"Okay, okay--peace, peace. We'll--I'll end the feud. You know I love him."

"Yes, and it only makes the pain that you inflict hurt more, because he knows it." He let Katse take him in his arms again. "He returns your love unconditionally."

"I know that. I promise I will make my peace with him. Until then, Raven 1 will survive, Condor." Katse got his kiss at last. "He's strong."

"You're always so sure of yourself, lover," Condor murmured against his lips.

"I wish your brother was back now." Katse started to trail little kisses along his Condor's jaw line.

"Poo, that's only because you prefer heterosexual contact and I can't shape shift to accommodate you when we're not within range of each other."

"We still have foreplay." Katse grinned at him wickedly.

The Avatar cursed the ill timing that brought a soldier barging in to interrupting their privacy.

"Katse-sama, our new pacific base--it's gone! Something malfunctioned and it blew up!"

"What? Did we evacuat-- " His blood went cold.

"All--all hands are--thought lost-- "

"KATSE!" Onyx wings flared into existence in a blinding blue glow as Raven 2 held Berg Katse over his head by his neck. "YOU DID THIS!"

"No, Condor! No! Please believe me!" Katse could barely get his words out through his strangle hold. It came out as a squeak, he couldn't even be sure Condor had heard him.

Raven 2's arms were trembling as he held the Avatar overhead with Katse choking in his grip. But the fire and the anger faded in Raven 2's eyes and he lowered the Avatar to the ground.

Katse had to take a couple of deep breaths before he could trust his voice to speak again. Raven 2 spoke first.

"No, I can see the truth in your mind. It had nothing to do with you. I'm sorry."

"We ... we deployed the search teams and rescue units, commanders." The frightened messenger told them.

"Very good, soldier. I want the report in my chambers in the next fifteen minutes. Dismissed."

The messenger scuttled away as quickly as possible.

Katse looked at Raven 2 for a long while, before looking down. "I should have guessed... that you siblings are closer than I can ever hope to be with you."

"I'm sorry, Katse-sama."

"Tell me, Condor, did you ever love me?"

"We do love you, Katse-sama. We both love you."

"But not as much as you love each other."

"Katse -"

"I should know better than to ask for too much."

"Don't wallow in self pity. It's not like you."

Katse laughed bitterly. A barrier had come between them. {No, that's wrong. That barrier had always existed. It is only now that I am aware of it.}

"You have a hard heart, Raven 2."

"You're strong, Katse-sama. You'll survive."


	3. Separation Anxieties

Katse sat to one side quietly watching his Condor preside over the gathering of generals. In all his recollections, usually his Eagle chaired these sessions. It felt strange to behold this figure in ocean blue instead of pristine white, issuing the commands.

Condor, however, was just as effective a field leader as his sibling. A fact that had gone mostly unnoticed until that day. It was his swift action that mobilized the military into their timely rescue efforts to pull survivors from the seas around the doomed base. His unorthodox idea to send in air-carriers loaded with rescue dinghies, instead of their usual cargo of tanks, clearly spelled the difference between life or death for many of the survivors. With the later arrival of the fleet, the scant few rescue pods that had been deployed were picked up as well, but there was still no word from the one they were most concerned with.

Among the survivors was Mechandol, Count Egobossler's loyal second and he had been rushed at all speed to the castle to present his report.

"On my oath, we were not attacked, m'lord." Mechandol met the unwavering gaze of Raven 2. "There--there was a malfunction at the reactor stations. A set of chain reactions were set off and we were forced to abandon the base."

"What of my brother... and your Count?"

"I--don't know, m'lord. I last--I saw them take one of the escape pods. I'm--I'm quite sure it launched."

"Quite?!" Condor gripped the hapless man by the front of his uniform and dragged him closer.

Though he was no weakling, due in no small part to his cybernetic enhancements, Mechandol was still caught off guard by the ease with which the blue clad figure jerked him off his feet. The generals were shaken by the sight of the Count's hitherto fearless second, swallow hard under the intense gaze of the Avatar's Raven 2.

Katse whimsically wondered if Condor was aware of how the color of his eyes seemed to change with his mood. When he was relaxed and comfortable, or aroused for that matter, his eyes would appear a soft sky blue. But when he was angry or irritated, they would change to lavender or a steel gray. Katse recalled the number of times his Condor would mutter over how Eagle could read him like a book even thought he wasn't the telepath. Was it that Eagle was observant enough to read his eyes, or was it just his unconscious knowledge of his sibling's moods?

"We--not all systems were on-line yet." Mechandol couldn't meet the lavender eyes. "There weren't enough rescue pods for all on the base... and not all the pods were working-- I wanted to make sure they were in a working pod, I really did! But my lieutenant shoved me into a pod before I could check on them and he it launched successfully. He--he stayed behind to die with... I don't know if they were in a working--I don't know--"

Raven 2 released him. Katse guessed that he could easily read the sickened guilt and anxiety which fairly rolled off Helm's second. They could get no further reassurance from him.

Katse knew that his Condor was growing more agitated with his sibling's continued absence. They could all see the signs. A kind of madness was starting to seep into Raven 2's eyes and the generals were all rather desperate now to leave his presence.

Of the two Ravens, Raven 2 was the one who most inspired the extremes of relationships among the soldiers. While Raven 1 inspired loyalty and unquestioned obedience, he remained unattainably aloof to the masses. Raven 2 was the comrade and the more mischievous of the brothers who was more likely to be lenient to any brief lax of discipline. But he was also the one who inspired the greater fear for any unexpected retaliation. Raven 1 tended to give a warning before he met out any discipline. Raven 2 did not believe in the same school and his discipline was swifter and more often permanent. This was not to say he was unpredictable. They could attribute the permanence of his actions to one factor... whether or not the safety of his brother or the Avatar was at stake. The current nervousness of the Generals was therefore understandable.

Katse wasn't quite sure whether to be amused, or worried, by the sight of these older military men trembling as they watched the blue clad youth pace the room. He frowned slightly as he noted the thin bead of sweat which began to gather at the hairline of his Condor's forehead.

"The ships have been combing the seas collecting pods and survivors for the last six hours, why haven't they found them yet?" Raven 2 looked up from his pacing to snarl at the generals.

"M'lord, we have the whole fleet out. Word will be immediately sent to us when the Count and the Field Commander have been found."

"Have you deployed the squadrons for an air search?"

"In as far as we are able to do so without attracting the attention of the United Nation--"

"FUCK THE UNITED NAT--" Raven 2 held himself back and took a few deep breaths to control his outburst. "As you were." His voice had softened again, though the low growl wasn't that much less threatening. "Tighten the sweep. We must find them."

Katse had seen enough. The pressures of the last several hours were overwhelming his Condor. A new fear gripped his heart as he recalled Dr. Rafael's warnings. He had pushed the envelope of safety with regards to his Ravens and now his Condor appeared to be going mad before his eyes. He silently swore that once his Ravens were reunited that he would never try to separate them again for any reason.

"Raven 2, let the generals go. You must rest." Katse's arms slid around him from behind. "They will let us know as soon as they find your sibling."

Condor was ready to protest, but he gave acquiescence to the suggestion of the Avatar. Holding the audience of generals did not improve the situation and they would be more effective out there. The generals all threw a grateful look towards Katse before they scurried out of the command chambers.

Katse turned his Condor to face him and enfolded him in a hug. "They will find your sibling, Condor. The seas did not swallow him up." His hand moved to gently stroke his back.

"I can't feel him, Katse-sama. I can't feel Ken." Condor desperately tried to hold back his tears.

"You're just too far away fro--Ken?"

Condor winced as Katse's arms tightened around him.

"Condor?"

"It--I'm--" Condor nearly bit his tongue. He had never been so careless before.

"Condor? I--didn't know you called him Ken." Katse released him slightly, so that he could lift his chin and make Condor look up at him. "What--what does he call you?"

"Joji. They--they are our real names."

"Could you not trust me enough to share this with me?"

"How could we, Katse-sama?" Joji turned away from him. "When Sosai is so determined that we never regain our past? When Sosai was the cause of their original loss?"

"I will never say." Katse did not let him wiggle free.

"You may not have to. We've always tried to keep him out of our minds. But Sosai could pick it out of your mind easily."

"No, he can't. Co--Joji. Sosai X is not telepathic. He can only communicate with me telepathically with great difficulty." Katse assured him. "Please trust me."

"So many times before, our memories did return only to be stolen away again. It is so hard to sort out what is true or implanted anymore." Joji told him quietly, "We've disbelieved so much... our names--it remains our only truth. Please, please don't take it away from us."

"I will not say, Joji. Sosai will never know. He will not learn from me."

"Not willingly. The alien can take whatever he wants from us, Katse-sama. He always has, he always will."

Katse's arms pulled Condor into a hug again, as much for his own comfort to ward the chill which gripped his heart, and to give the youth some reassurance of what protection he could offer. "How long have you known this?"

"Eigh--eight--seven months. It was our secret. We couldn't let Sosai ever find out."

Katse kept his thoughts schooled and calm. Not for the first time, he was glad Condor wasn't empathic. Thoughts were so much easier to control than emotions and feelings.

"Please don't take it away from us?"

"Condor--"

"Katse-sama, if--if Sosai does remove that memory? If--if we forget who we really are... and if you still remember it? Will you tell us?"

> Their mind has been fragmented before, and Sosai is too casual with his rewriting of their memories. If I reveal too much it may destroy their minds. Better that they recall their past without the intervention of others.

"Yes, little one." Katse kissed him on the forehead. {But only if it is safe to do so.}

*~*~*~*~*

Helm looked up from his abysmal fire-making efforts. The dusk was fast approaching and he was still trying to start a cook fire to prepare their dinner. Earlier, in their separate explorations, Raven 1 had found an inland pond and he had returned to camp laden with his silvery catch. Helm thought that he could at least make himself useful by electing to cook while Raven 1 tried to fix their distress beacon.

{This is ridiculous. I can't believe how the situation turned out so wrong.} Helm stared at the pile of driftwood which had so far been resistant to his best efforts to set it alight. {You're an unmitigated genius, Helm old boy. Is this going to be worth it? You wanted to work out your feelings with this creature. So you thought that maybe if we were truly forced alone, we'd overcome the impasse, heh?

Well you did it! We're stuck on this godforsaken island with nearly no hope for rescue because you *had* to pick the escape pod with the faulty signal beacon. He is *furious* with you for the poor quality shown of your emergency systems. We've been alone together since the base went under and we haven't exchanged more than two civil words unrelated to setting up a camp. Was this all worth your sabotaging your own base, you daft bastard?}

Helm sighed as he turned to look to where Raven 1 was still working on the remnants of the escape pod to Jerry-rig a distress beacon. The sticks fell unheeded from his hands as his eyes fell upon still the laboring Raven 1.

The sun was hot and Raven 1 had removed his ceremonial robes and stripped to the waist before working on the distress beacon, exposing the back tattoo to his gaze. The red rays of the setting sun had caught on the beads of sweat that covered his naked back. The intermix of red, with the golden brown of the eagle and the white of the orchids... the rippling muscles gave the tattoo an appearance of a live eagle about to take flight.

The spots appearing before his vision reminded Helm to breathe again. His unexpectedly loud exhale brought Raven 1's attention on him.

"Helm! Use your gun to make the bloody fire!"

Helm's face flushed pink as he sheepishly took out his laser pistol and adjusted the beam. In a short while he had a cheery fire going and the fish fillets roasting over it. He looked up again towards the escape pod, but Raven 1 had moved out of his sight. His hand unconsciously reached for the amulet against his chest.

{A dream or a nightmare, mother? I'm not sure what this is. Well, okay it was a stroke of bad luck that the distress beacon was faulty. But that part wasn't my fault. I had to know, mother. I had to know if I truly am in love with Eagle no matter what form she takes.

I can't--Raven 1 is the stern Field Commander. We've always equated him with unquestioned discipline and control. Kitty--she has a wild streak in her, mother. That little hint of rebellion that would be so alien in Raven 1. Raven 1 is so rigid, but the Lady Eagle?} A brief smile touched his lips as he recalled their early interaction.

*~*~*~*~*

>   
> His second encounter with the Lady Eagle had not come soon enough for him. At that first ball, he had managed to stay steadfastly aloof and refused to approach either of the Raptors to ask for a dance. An approach he had beat himself over the head about for the next few weeks as his mind kept returning to the image of the lithe figure in white that glided across the floor with her many suitors.
> 
> He had never waited in such impatient anticipation for his half brother's birthday to approach before. Helm was honest enough to admit that it was because he would have an excuse to throw a grand ball and expect the attendance of the Avatar. Berg Katse did not disappoint him and more importantly, he brought his halter neck gowned Raptors.
> 
> When the dancing began, Helm had tried his best not to show his inattention as he spoke with the Avatar. But every so often his eyes would drift towards the dance floor to seek out that figure in white.
> 
> "You show an interest in my Lady Eagle, Count." Katse interrupted him after a particularly long silence.
> 
> Helm coughed in embarrassment at being caught. "She shows a--particular grace about her, Katse-sama."
> 
> Katse's brows knitted with the unforced honorific Helm had appended to his address. It seemed so unlike the haughty Count to use the honorific of another culture.
> 
> "Both your Raptors have a dancer's grace, but your Lady Eagle has an added fluidness to her movements. Tell me, is she familiar with the blade?"
> 
> "As a matter of fact, she is." Helm didn't even notice Katse's mysterious smile. His eyes were locked on the white figure who was led around the floor. "She has my Raven 1's skill."
> 
> "As suited of his sister, I suppose... And where are your secretive Ravens? Will they not attend these balls as well?" Helm had posed the question then, but in his heart, he hoped that the Ravens would never attend any of his social gatherings, if it meant that the Raptors would withdraw.
> 
> "Near enough. They may even be closer than you expect."
> 
> "Rumors abound of your Ravens and Raptors, Katse-sama."
> 
> "Absolute nonsense."
> 
> "Then you do not believe that the Ravens are their lovers?"
> 
> "Yes, I do not." Katse waved it away as unimportant. "The Raptors are mine, and I do not share. The Ravens are well informed of this."
> 
> But his words may have as well have fallen on deaf ears as Helm's attention was riveted on the dance floor. He couldn't stand to stay aloof anymore. If a dance was all he could have, he wanted to take at least that much of the alluring creature.
> 
> "Please forgive me, Katse-sama, but I--"
> 
> "Claim a dance, my dear Count. I feel generous tonight."
> 
> If he dared lift his hand, Helm would have wiped the smirk from Katse's face, but at that moment, he just didn't care as he walked towards the dance floor. His kept his pace leisurely though. His distraction was already a victory to Katse, Helm was determined that he take his time to stroll towards the dance floor and not hurry towards his target like an uncouth schoolboy.
> 
> A group of pouting noble woman stood forlornly beside the dance floor, staring with ill-disguised annoyance at the milling gentlemen who were passing the Raptors from hand to hand. Their waspish conversation carried towards the Count as he approached in an as dignified and an as stately a stroll as he could force upon himself.
> 
> "Who are those children?"
> 
> "Every man here is sniffing around them like a bitch in heat."
> 
> "They have no shape to speak of..."
> 
> "Cradle snatches, all of them! Where is their sense of decency? Those girls are clearly minors."
> 
> Their misery increased when Count Egobossler walked right past without noticing them. At his approach, the men quickly made a path for the Count as he walked right up to the Lady Eagle's current partner and tapped him on the shoulder.
> 
> "Wait your--" The youth started, then blanched when he saw the Count. "F-f-forgive me my lord."
> 
> "Quite all right." Helm waved him away magnanimously. "Could I cut in?"
> 
> "Of--of course."
> 
> "My Lady, may I?" Helm reached for the offered hand, hoping that he was not exhibiting the tremble he felt within him as he led the Lady Eagle out.
> 
> The tempo picked up slightly as they began to dance. Helm noted the careful expression of attention on her face and guessed that she had been highly bored of her earlier suitors.
> 
> "You have no thanks for your rescue, my Lady?"
> 
> "And is that all you wished to do, sire?" She flashed him in impish smile, making his heart skip a beat.
> 
> "Ahh, we but live and die for your smile, my Lady. Even I am not resistant to your charms."
> 
> "Flatterer."
> 
> "I have no undue compliments, my Lady. It is not flattery to speak the truth. For instance, at your previous attendance at my ball, your wore your hair in two braids and you were the vision of loveliness then. Tonight, you've elected to wear it in three, and I speak the truth to say now that you appear more enchanting with your hair woven in three braids than in two."
> 
> She glowed, as he knew she would at the compliment.
> 
> "Oh? I am surprised that you would remember such a trifling thing."
> 
> {Surprised? I could think of nothing else.} He smiled at her winningly. "And how could I forget such a beauty as you?"
> 
> Amusement colored her eyes. Helm could plainly see he wasn't impressing her with that little bit of sweet talk.
> 
> "And why would you prefer this style I wear today?"
> 
> "With two braids, all attention to your person is easily drawn to the tattoo you so brazenly display on your back, which I would imagine is the intent of our Avatar."
> 
> By not one flicker of her eyes did her expression change. But Helm knew he did surprise her as he felt her fingers tightened almost imperceptibly on his arm.
> 
> "However, with three braids... your center braid artfully covers the Eagle occasionally, not detracting attention to it, but diffusing attention to it enough that any who looks at you will first look upon the radiance of your face." Helm put all his charm behind his words. "And only a half-wit would turn his attention from your face to look at ink on skin."
> 
> "Am I more beautiful with three braids?" She smiled almost shyly at him.
> 
> "More than words can ever express." His throat felt almost too dry to speak. He surprised her with his observation, but she was clearly winning this round.
> 
> The smile was devastating his senses. She was just as skilled in this game as he was. Helm was glad to lapse into silence rather than continue to talk when his mind was going to be fuddled by her attention. He needed a distraction or an advantage to get his thoughts under control again.
> 
> With that in mind, he led her into a new movement, thinking perhaps that he could catch her off guard with a slightly more complex step. He wasn't sure whether to be pleased or apprehensive at that slight flicker of recognition in her eyes of the move. She let him lead her into the steps, moving with him gracefully and easily. The smile on her face started to reach her eyes.
> 
> The dance floor slowly emptied as the pair swirled and glided across the floor, and in her arms Helm didn't care at all that they were soon the only dancers. To the audience, it appeared as if it was love in motion before them. But Helm knew better. There was no love in those blue eyes. The Lady Eagle was moving with the soul of the music, taking delight in the dance... not the partner.
> 
> But Helm could feel a light sense of triumph within him, he knew how to ensnare her now. He knew then that he could seduce her with tools from his secret heritage.

*~*~*~*~*

The smell of burning fish abruptly brought Helm's attention back to the present. He cursed as he pulled the blackened fish from the spit.

{Idiot! How can you daydream when you're cooking?} Helm looked sourly at the pieces of carbon he held on the stick.

He looked gratefully at the pile of fillets beside him. {Heh, heh. Only two are gone, fortunately, we have more than enough. Unless he counted, I don't think he'll notice two fish are missing."

Helm surreptitiously buried the two burnt pieces of fish in the sand beside the fire.

Raven 1 still hadn't returned to the camp yet. Helm had to surmise that as long as there was some sort of light, Raven 1 would continue to work on the distress beacon. He didn't mind, it would at least give him the time to properly cook their dinner.

As Helm lay another two fishes over the spit, he steadfastly paid attention to his cooking and refused to start daydreaming again. Being stranded in the middle of nowhere without character comforts was bad enough, he didn't want to go hungry too.

*~*~*~*~*

Ken leaned against the escape pod on the side facing away from the Count. Sweat drenched his face as he tried to close his eyes to the fierce ache between his eyes.

{Damn! I have to get back to Sosai. Feel so bad... Shouldn't have waited so long... But I hate those sessions.}

He tried to concentrate, focusing his Qi to flow over him and kill the cancerous cells within while encouraging the healthy cells to multiply. But the pounding in his head was disrupting his focus. He felt tired... run down by the stress of the last week.

Ken slid down the smooth surface of the wall he leaned against to sit in a Lotus position on the sand. Once more he pulled in his concentration and tried to focus his healing Qi. He tried not to think what his delay in seeking his treatment with Sosai X was going to cost him. He tried not to think of the growing emptiness within him for his sibling's absence, but the ache in his heart reached further than his physical pain and weariness.

{I can't feel you, Joji. Where are you? Are you looking for me? Can you feel me to find us?} The tears in his throat threatened to spill out. {I'm so alone. I need you.}

Ken flushed slightly at the thought. {I'm not exactly alone. This must be a nightmare... to be stuck here alone with Cass--Helm. Helm... damn him. Why did it have to be Helm?}

He imagined feeling the Count's staring eyes as they brushed over him. He felt like a freak under that scrutiny. But why did it bother him now? To have others staring at him... it had never bothered him or his sibling before. They were used to it already... the Avartar's beloved... commanders of the Gallactor Empire's military might... Sosai's freaks... Wherever they went, they were always stared at, in respect, in fear, in lust...

That was all it was between the Count and... Kitty. Lust. He wasn't Cassary. The deluded boy was a harmless first love. Ken laughed to himself bitterly. First love... it wouldn't have mattered, the real Cassary Egobossler would have recoiled from him just like the fake one did.

{But you didn't even want to know for sure, did you Ken? He had to die anyway, so you just slid your sword into his heart. You never let him know his childhood sweetheart was the one who killed him and put his bastard brother back on the throne. He just died whispering apologies to Kitty for not marrying her.} Ken leaned back against the escape pod again. {Damn you Cassary, why did you have to be such a useless dreamer. You were *useless* to us. Why couldn't you have the ambition of your father, or even your brother? I didn't want to kill you!}

Ken jerked himself out of his misery and tried to summon his Qi again. He shouldn't have held it off too long. He should have stayed in their apartments that morning and worked on himself. He was already feeling too bad to want to join Katse and Joji on the inspection of the front lines. Instead he spent the whole morning playing hide and seek with the Count.

What did the bastard want anyway? He caught up twice, both times all he did was stare at him. What was it that Helm wanted? Was it a perverse fascination with--with an abomination?

The word still hurt him. He and his sibling had long ago swore to harden their hearts and to never be hurt by what others might call them for their unique natures, but it still hurt. Was it because he was being naive? To think that love could transcend the flesh?

{Baka! Baka! Of course it mattered. It isn't natural to have your girlfriend suddenly become a man. He felt betrayed, no more then you.}

He reached up to touch his face. Hot. It wasn't just the heat of anger and frustration, he was running a fever.

{I don't need this now. Damn it, I have to concentrate. Have to try and relax.} He chuckled at the incongruity of the statement. {'Try and relax.' Yeah, right! You're not thinking straight, Ken. You already messed things up too far this morning, don't mess with your own life.}

A flush of guilt effused him. What was he thinking of when he brought the Raven Wing back to the skies to break up the dogfight? He was taking out his own anger and frustration with the Count on the two hapless pilots. He shouldn't have done that.

They had spent so long keeping up a charade of inaptitude with the UN and ISO. None of their enemies were aware of the true capabilities of the Ravens, or the true danger the Empire posed to the world order. They wanted the ISO to underestimate their strengths, or at least stay puzzled and unbalanced about their abilities until it was too late. The Alliance of Nations weren't in position yet, the Empire didn't have the resources in place to crush them either, and he had practically blown their surprise. 

Now they could only hope that the ISO remained disbelieving at the ease he displayed in shooting down Falcon Sam and that misguided Squadron Leader. If they were lucky, the UN wouldn't be on their guard. But without the surprise, they could still win if they pushed up the agenda. It could work... when he got back he could talk to Katse, work out--

{When I get back? When?}

A cool sea breeze blew over him, making him shiver as his sweat cooled over his naked torso. It was already dark. Helm should have finished cooking dinner. He needed to eat to replenish some of the energy he lost working with the distress beacon and with his failed attempts at focussing his energies.

Ken never felt more bone tired in his life as he pulled himself back on his feet with the aid of the escape pod. He braced himself to walk back to the camp, he couldn't let Helm know how weak or how sick he was feeling. Hate, fear, he could deal with these emotions, he had faced them before, but he couldn't deal with pity. He couldn't bear to have anyone feel sorry for him.

*~*~*~*~*

> "How long have you known this?"
> 
> "Eigh--eight--seven months. It was our secret."
> 
> "I should have guessed... that you siblings are closer than I can ever hope to be with you."
> 
> "I'm sorry, Katse-sama.

Those words played in his mind repeatedly. Katse sat in the Count's study, dipping freely into his supply of port.

They had lied to him... Kept secrets from him... Katse didn't want to believe the revelations of the last few hours. He thought they were created for him. That Sosai X made them to be his subordinates so that he could have trusted lieutenants. It kicked a large hole in his perceptions to realize that he wasn't the center of their universe.

He had thought they were created beings... that they were made to serve him... They were his! They weren't suppose to keep secrets from him. They weren't suppose to *threaten* him. They weren't suppose to have minds of their own.

He had the grace to wince at this thought. {Chauvinist! They are living beings, even their cat and wolf have minds of their own. Why wouldn't they? They are not automatons. But they were bred and raised to obey me unquestioningly and to *serve* me.}

But even that reasoning wasn't entirely true.

The port glass was crushed in his grip, and the port spilled over his glove and onto the floor. Katse was totally un-heedful of the shards of glass that cut through his gloves and into his flesh. It was less than nothing. His body could automatically take care of minor injuries in minutes. The flesh wounds would knit easily as soon as the shards were removed.

In the past several months, Katse had clashed with his Ravens more times than he cared to recall. The most disturbing event was when they had assassinated the real Count Cassary Egobossler and restored the pretender, Helm Egobossler, to the throne.

Katse had comforted himself first with the thought that Raven 1 saw that the real Count was a useless fop to them and so restored the pretender. Katse thought that Raven 1 went so far as to risk his wrath, all for the sake of Katse's need for strength and stability in that kingdom. Later, Sosai X confirmed his sanction of Raven 1's actions to support Katse's rule.

This was all in the service of the Avatar. Yet it still chilled him to think that they had come up with these plans and executed them behind his back without his knowledge. It was not open defiance and yet... Then, there was the verbal fight between him and Raven 1 less than a week ago over sending their own sacrifice to detonate the rocket instead of letting an ISO soldier sacrifice his life.

How many more times had his Ravens disagreed with him and kept it a secret to work behind the scenes? A new chill gripped his heart. They were clearly capable of plotting against him. He already had his confirmation. They lied to him. Kept secrets from him. They held each other in regard *above* him. Was it so far a stretch to think that they might one day decide to dispose of him and seize the lead--

He mentally slapped himself. "That was unworthy of you, Berg Katse. Your Ravens have no ambition to rule."

> We'd never betray you, Katse-sama. I thought you intelligent enough to know this.

"Paranoid, Katse. You are just paranoid. If given a choice, I'd dare say your Ravens would be much happier staying in the mountains, far away from the war and far away from any responsibilities."

Katse turned to glance at the unlit fireplace in the study. In his mind's eye he recalled a quiet reflective moment years ago before the war started, when he had taken his Ravens to a ski resort for a vacation.

In the evenings, he would be seated in an easy chair before a raging fireplace, contently reading while his Ravens sprawled on the rugs in front of the fire. Condor would be combing his sibling's luxurious hair as Eagle read to him from a book with their little cat on his lap. Their black wolf would be snuggled against them, staring at the flickering fire and letting his bushy tail thump the hardwood floors whenever one of them reached over to scratch him.

"Charles and Jaeger... I should bring them here. Joji will need them. Perhaps they can help temporarily until I can unite the siblings."

Katse closed his eyes, letting the calm contentment of the past memory flow over him to drown the tide of the angry thoughts that had raged in him for the better part of the night. He released his grip on the shards of broken glass and carefully picked the fragments from his hand. Even as he watched, his body was already unconsciously working to stem the flow of blood and heal the flesh. Soon, there wouldn't even be a hint of a scar left... If only Eagle's own unconscious strength was enough to heal her as well.

"I'm so sorry, Eagle... I should not have pushed you out when I knew you were so sick..." Katse turned to the window and looked out into the night. "My Eagle, please hold on. We will find you."

*~*~*~*~*

Under the silvery light of the waxing moon, Helm stare across the shelter to where Raven 1 was sleeping. The flickering light of the campfire seemed to play a magical dance over his visage. This time, Hem knew that his eyes must be playing tricks on him. The face of Lady Eagle seemed to appear and disappear with the flickering flames.

The moment, however, was broken when Raven 1 restlessly turned over to face away from the fire. Helm had to wonder how he could sleep, when he himself was so tormented to be in his presence. But Raven 1 did look rather tired when he joined him to eat earlier. Helm was thankful that Raven 1 did not notice the lack of two fillets, but then again, he did not seem to care. They did not talk very much as they ate. Just enough to know that the distress beacon was still not finished yet, and that they had enough grilled fish left for a light breakfast in the morning.

It wasn't very long after they finished eating that Raven 1 slipped away to the inland pond to wash and return with more drinking water for them. Helm had been tempted to follow him, but he resisted the urge and only left for his own ablutions when Raven 1 returned. By the time he finished, Raven 1 had already rolled into his blankets and the steady rise and fall of his chest told Helm that he was asleep.

Sleep, however, did not come easily to the Count. He wasn't comfortable sleeping on the ground, and to be in such close proximity with the male image of his former lover... However, Raven 1's sleep did not appear to be any more restful. Helm frowned slightly as he watched him tossing and turning in his sleep.

"Oh God." Helm pushed himself up in shock as a thought suddenly struck him.

He had furnished their apartments with a *single* King size bed. It was well known that the Raptors always slept in the same bed when they did not share the bed of the Avatar. It was also no secret that the Ravens shared a room with a single bed. Helm's eyes widen with the thought that this was conceivably the first night the youths had ever slept alone.

Even as this revelation hit him, another fact made itself starkly apparent.

"Katse--that bitch." Helm rolled into a sitting position facing away from the pale figure as he cursed to himself.

All this time, he had thought Katse was unaware of their clandestine affair... It was all a sham! The Avatar knew all along that Helm was trying to seduce his Lady Eagle. He must have sanctioned their tryst to try to turn the tables on him. He knew of every single moment that Helm spent with the Lady Eagle. Katse used his Lady Eagle against him!

Helm leaned his head on his knees as a pain started in his heart. {Fakery... It was all fakery. She never fell in love with me. She was acting on Katse's orders. It was all fakery!}

A soft whimper started him from his misery. Helm cautiously turned towards the source of the sound. Raven 1 was shivering and shaking as he continued to stir in his blankets restlessly.

Helm didn't even stop to think or consider his actions before he gathered his bedroll and blankets to cross over to Raven 1's side of the fire. He settled his bedding beside Raven 1 and lay down beside the pale figure, careful not to touch him. Shortly, the lithe figure settled down and Helm nodded as his theory was confirmed. His proximity was enough of a comfort to ease Raven 1's feeling of loneliness.

Helm sighed to himself as he studied the now peacefully sleeping figure beside him. He wondered to himself what the strange stirring that he felt within him was. All along, he had planned to use the Lady Eagle for his own purpose to gain power in the Empire. The sex was admittedly great, but it was secondary to his desires. He wanted her to fall in love with him so that he could use her. So why did he feel like such a knave to learn that Katse had also used her to ensnare him.

The stars twinkled down on him uncaringly as he turned on his back to reflect on his last few thoughts. When had his perceptions changed? Somewhere between studying his features in the light of the fire and lying down beside Raven 1, Helm realized that he stopped questioning the physical appearance and just accepted her as his lover again. Was he really in love?

What happened next shocked Helm and it took all of his self-control not to cry out in shock and awaken Raven 1. Of all the things to happen, Helm had not expected Raven 1 to roll towards him and snuggle against his chest.

After months of separation and denial, his senses were once more assailed with that heady spicy fragrance which belonged so uniquely to the Lady Eagle. He had unconsciously turned his body toward Raven 1, reaching his arm around to pull him tighter against him. Raven 1 nestled closer to him in response to his gentle pull, a light purr of contentment rumbling in his throat.

Helm was torn. Shocked even, at his automatic response to the lithe figure that was now cradled in his arms. He was almost afraid to move as he breathed deeply of the clean spicy scent that could intoxicate his every sense. Unfortunately, another part of him was responding to this contact. A part he wasn't quite ready to deal with yet.

Raven 1 stirred in confusion to this heat that was pressed against him and he awoke to find himself looking up into Helm's guilty looking visage.

"No!"

Helm was not exactly surprised to be flung across the shelter. He had no words for how he was feeling. A total fog of confusion filled his mind.

"There is nothing between us, Helm." Raven 1's face was suffused in anger and embarrassment.

"Kitty-- "

"Don't call me that! I am NOT your 'Kitty'!" Raven 1 seethed between clenched teeth as he rose to his feet. "You're not into *freaks*, Helm."

"Wait, Rave--"

"Just leave me alone!" Raven 1 snatched up his blankets and disappeared into the night.

Helm wanted to follow him. Every nerve in his body screamed at him to get off his duff and pursue Raven 1. But another part of him roiled in confusion and disgust at his response towards this... *man.*

"I'm not gay, mother. I most assuredly am heterosexual. I was--I was just concerned about--" His eyes were wide in confusion as he groped for the amulet around his neck. "I admit it, I *am* in love with Lady Eagle. I love her. I don't care if she's male half the time. I love her. But I don't love Raven 1. I am *not* remotely attracted to him at all, mother. I am not gay. I was *not* responding to him."

The Count shivered as he pulled his blankets about his shoulders. He didn't think he'd be able to sleep now.

*~*~*~*~*

Joji settled uncomfortably in the large bed, staring at the achingly empty spot beside him. He stroked the sheets beside him absently.

Outside, Katse had stopped at the Ravens' door, but he hesitated to knock. Thinking better of entering, the Gallactor leader continued alone towards his own rooms, unaware of the tears of desolation gathering in Joji's eyes.


	4. Fractures

_A soft orange red glow from the window awakened him. The boy looked up from his bed groggily at the alien sight, when a thunderous clatter shocked the sleep from his eyes. He shivered in his bed as he tried to identify the sound. It wasn't thunder. It was... familiar in a disturbing sort of way. He knew that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep until he satisfied his curiosity... and what *was* that orange glow anyway?_

_The little boy stood in stockinged feet at the door as he looked into the living room. His mommy was kneeling at the front door, cradling her laser cannon in her arms. He thought that it was a fun thing. And it would make these really cool 'whip', 'whip' sounds as it blew up any target his mommy aimed it at. The boy liked watching his mommy clean her firearms, though she never let him touch them. She would tell him that there was time enough for him to have his own guns when he grew up._

_He was always unhappy that his mommy refused to share her toys with him. After all, he would let her play with his toys. Then, she'd say that little boys aren't allowed to touch the toys of the grownups until they are old enough to learn how to clean them themselves. He couldn't wait until he was old enough._

_The boy frowned as he studied his mommy's stance. She was aiming at something outside the house. That was odd, his mommy would usually aim only at targets on the target range. Why was she pointing it at something outside the house now?_

_And why was his daddy shouting? It was coming from Kenny's house. Was that where the orange glow was coming from too?_

_"Joji?"_

_The boy was taken aback. How did his mommy know he was watching her? She didn't even turn around to look at him._

_"Mommy? Why--?"_

_"Joji... honey, please go back to your room."_

_"Mommy, what--"_

_"Please honey? We can talk later... Kenny's coming over in a while, Joji. Daddy's bringing him over for a sleep over. Wouldn't that be fun?"_

_"He's coming?" Joji brightened up instantly._

_"Kenny will be staying with us for a while, honey. Will you go back to your room and make some space for him?"_

_"Okay, Mommy."_

_Joji was excited as he retrieved another pillow from the cupboard and fluffed up the blankets on his bed. He liked having Kenny sleeping over, or him going next door to spend the night. Kenny may be in the class below him, but he was fun to be around._

_Of course, he'd also frequently get them into a lot of trouble around the neighborhood. Life was so much duller those times when his mom grounded him. A grin plastered itself on Joji face as he recalled Mrs. Carrigan from down the road complain to his daddy about the 'wild boys' and their pranks._

_His mommy's appearance at the door turned away all other thoughts as she entered to settle him into bed again._

_"Joji, Kenny has to borrow some of your old clothes for a while. Will that be okay?"_

_He looked up at her puzzled, wondering why Kenny didn't have any of his own. "That's okay, Mommy, he can have my new stuff too. I don't mind."_

_She smiled at him and brushed his hair fondly. "That's very nice of you, honey. But Kenny is smaller than you, remember? He won't be able to fit in the clothes that you wear now."_

_His mother kissed him on the forehead and turned off the lights. "Daddy will bring Kenny over in a moment. He's cleaning up first."_

_Daddy was at the door before Mommy left the room. They laid Kenny in the bed beside him, covered both of them with blankets and tucked them in before leaving._

_"Kenny? What was that orange glow at your place?" Joji rolled on his side to face the boy. "Kenny?"_

_His friend lay rigid beside him, his eyes open and staring._

_"Kenny? What's wrong? Kenny?"_

_Joji inched closer, he could tell that something was very wrong with his friend. As he approached, he could catch the faint smell of smoke and something... coppery._

_{A fire! There was a fire next door! Kenny's house must have... burnt--}_

_Joji couldn't recall hearing Mr. or Mrs. Washio outside. In any case, if they were here, *they* would have put Kenny to bed with him, not his Mommy and Daddy. And if they weren't there..._

_The older boy reached across to pull his rigid friend closer to him. Kenny resisted the pull at first, then turned to rest his head against Joji's chest. Joji could feel the younger boy begin to shiver in his embrace. His breathing grew ragged and Joji could feel the shoulder of his pajamas growing wet as the younger boy started to cry._

_"I'll take care of you, Kenny." Joji murmured into his hair as he tightened his embrace. "Please don't cry. Kenny, it'll be okay. I won't let anyone hurt you. You can be my little brother. I'll take care of you, little brother. Don't cry, Kenny. I'll love you, and Mommy and Daddy will love you. Don't cry."_

_Joji could feel moisture gather in his own eyes as he hugged the younger boy to him. "Don't cry, Kenny. You're my brother now. I won't let anything happen to you. I'll take care of you for ever and ever. Shhh, everything will be all right. I'll make sure of it. Ken--"_

*~*~*~*~*

"Ken--"

Joji awoke, clutching a pillow to him as if he never wanted to let it go.

"Ken!" Joji threw the pillow away from him in frustration. "Kuso! Where are you? Why haven't they found you yet? KEN, reach for me! Reach for my mind!"

Only silence greeted him. In that special place in his mind where his sibling would reside, there was only emptiness. Joji threw himself back onto his pillow to cry like a broken child.

*~*~*~*~*

The morning sun broke through the trees and now the golden rays shone on a celestial image as he leisurely frolicked in the clear blue waters.

Helm watched Raven 1 take a leisurely swim in the inland pond. He didn't mean to spy on him, he kept reminding himself. It was just chance that brought him to the pond before Raven 1 had finished with his morning ablution. He never intended to intrude, but he couldn't make himself withdraw now.

Now that he had the occasion to study him, Helm admitted, if only to himself, that Raven 1 was as beautiful in hir male image as s/he was in female. Hir skin had an almost alabaster paleness to it which deceivingly made the Lady Eagle look frail and weak. But on Raven 1, especially when he was garbed in his solid black birdstyle, it made him look like death incarnate. Helm could feel an irrational feeling of irritation rise within him, when he thought of how harsh the color black would look against the pale skin of the Lady Eagle.

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed Raven 1 turning in his direction in mid stroke. Helm quickly withdrew back into the trees and back to the shelter, taking with him the image of the sun kissed skin of Raven 1.

"He is beautiful, mother. But... I'm not--I don't know what to do, mother... I don't know what to do."

*~*~*~*~*

Ken dragged himself up the rocks, back to where he had left his clothes. Gods, he was tired. He thought that Helm would never leave... And all he had needed to do was display some indication that he knew he was being watched. Ken coughed a short bitter laugh. The Count didn't want to admit that he was staring at an 'abomination.'

He was glad the Count had left, he didn't want Helm to see him looking so weak. The cold stone of the boulder felt too inviting against his flushed skin. Damn. He had hoped that the swim in the cool waters would bring down his fever. He was feeling much too tired to even dry himself off and pull his clothes back on.

"Move, Ken. You've got to move. He'll be back..."

But the warm sun felt much too good on his skin, and the breeze blowing over the water on his body helped to cool the heat of the fever. He lay in the sun, long enough for the breeze to dry him off, before he crawled to his feet and pulled on his clothes.

Ken couldn't recall ever feeling so sick and so... empty before. Empty... That special part of his mind where he could feel his sibling... was empty.

"Joji. Come back. I don't feel you anymore. Please come back."

But there was no sound... no comforting, feathery touch of his sibling's mind.

Ken straightened his shoulders and started his walk back to camp. He was determined to show no weakness to the Count. Helm Egobossler would see *nothing* which might undermine the Avatar's power.

*~*~*~*~*

"Hail Avatar, scion of the living God."

Irritably, Katse waved the priests to arise as he sat in the private Audience Chambers of the Count's castle. The appellation could be such an annoyance! Sometimes, he did wonder if the formal greeting was said with derision or with true faith at all times. He did not feel in any way god-like. But whatever his feelings, he still had to keep up appearances. If they ever realized the truth...

"God's radiance keep you safe," he responded in formal greeting to the high priest.

The priests bowed low, keeping the fingers of their hands steepled to form a sign of a triangle as they rose. "We thank you for accepting this audience, Holy Avatar."

"The Scion of God must ever grant hir high priests this courtesy." Katse waved away their gratitude magnanimously. "Speak, I open my ears to our spiritual teachers."

"Sire... there is concern within the order for--your Ravens."

"Is there now, Elkezel?" Katse arched an eyebrow at their concern. "And why is this so? Are the former guardians of the Ravens displeased with how I have summoned them to service? Have I not taken care of their welfare just as you have guarded and trained them?"

"Sire... we dare not seek to judge thee!" The old priest, Katse identified as Elkezel, protested. "As the holy book says, the Ravens are but to serve the living God, as *thou* would have them serve thee. It is not for us to dictate their service."

"What concerns do the priests have for them, then? If it is about their separation... I already have men searching day and night for my missing Raven. They *will be* reunited."

"Please, sire. We have faith in thee, oh my Avatar. Our--concern is over a passage in the holy books. We--wonder if you recall..."

"Refresh me, Elkezel. I have had much on my mind." Katse leaned forward in curiosity.

"If I may quote a passage, sire." Elkezel gestured for one of his priests to approach with the tome.

The priest obligingly opened the book and held it for the old man as he began to read.

> _[So shall the spirits scream rage for the affront of the trinity sundered. As madness cries, the lands upheave, and the oceans begin to boil. One in spirit return to me. MY words shall be heard through MY Chosen. Take heed, yea citizens upon whom MY light shall shine._
> 
> _[Hasten yea to restore the order. Hasten yea, least I take displeasure with thee and remove MY presence to bring Armageddon upon the forsaken earth.]_

Katse stared at Elkezel as his subordinate withdrew with the book.

"From the Book of the Prophets?"

"Sire, yourself and the Siblin--"

"Elkezel--I understood what was quoted." Katse rose from his seat to walk towards the high priest. "Elkezel... you recognize me as your Avatar?"

"Sire, that is without doubt!"

"And yet... Elkezel, you are one of the few who--know of my true background?"

"Sire, I understand your skepticism. You are the returned child. Lost to the wilderness and restored to us. You have not had to--brave the 'boredom' of our lectures." Elkezel smiled faintly. "But The Book, has yet to be wrong, Holy Avatar. I understand your suspicion since the book was only recently recovered this last decade. But the age of the parchment convinced our scientists that the words were laid down eons ago."

{As well you should. Sosai is anything *but* sloppy.} "Elkezel, I--find myself at loss to--understand then why the separation of the siblings will *cause* Armageddon."

It was a petty thing, but Katse could not help but feel a touch of jealousy for the importance of his charges. "They are but my servants. Should I require more, then God shall provide."

"Unfortunately, there are no others, Sire. Or, at least they have not been revealed to us. Save for yourself, the Siblings are the only other entities who are marked by the Living God. You are above them because of your singularity, where they are bound as one. For--er--alone--one is incomplete without the other. *They* cannot exist singularly."

"Yes... Unfortunately, it seems that I understood this much too late, Elkezel."

"The--the Siblings are one spirit, Holy Avatar. That is the word of the Lord." Elkezel told him unhappily. "Please understand, Holy Avatar. Only at the moment of your ascension and acceptance of the Siblings, were you tied to them in holy trinity.

"But you may also tear yourself from the Siblings, cast them away from you, and stand once more as--singular... You are the head, just as they are your hands. Should you lose one, the second will follow and we must then replace your hands."

"Elkezel..." The glimmer of understanding touched Katse's eyes. "I believe, you are asking me to 'set aside' my remaining Raven?"

"Er--Holy Avatar--"

"So, you would have me kill my remaining Raven?!" The fire of outrage filled his eyes. Any jealousy Katse may have harbored was quickly drowned by the tide of protectiveness for his Ravens.

"Sire... I suggest nothing. But The Book--"

"Yes, yes... It tells you that to keep them separated will bring about Armageddon. And yet, I can also choose to kill one or the other, and this will avert the end of the world?"

"As one entity... The separation of the Holy Siblings will destroy the world, Sire. That is the word of the Lord. But the death of one--will cause the other's demise and..."

"I *will* bring them back together, Elkezel!" Katse had heard enough. "I *will* restore the trinity. The empire is posed for our finest hour, Elkezel. The Trinity is essential to our success."

"But--"

"Elkezel, tell me this then? Do another pair of siblings exist, who may fill this role as my hands?"

"No. The Ravens are the only Siblings."

"Just as I am your *only* Avatar."

"I--I stand rebuked, Holy Avatar." The old man looked down shamefaced. "We will pray for the swift reunion of the Holy Siblings."

Katse's stance softened as he noticed the faint touch of relief in the High Priest's words. "Elkezel, your allegiance to your God is recognized and commended. It--must have been difficult for you to suggest that I dispose of they who were once your charges."

"I live but to serve my God and Avatar."

Katse nodded as he sent the old man and his aides away.

Katse drifted back to the throne and traced the carving of the ornate chair with his hand, lost in thought. S/he tried not to think too much of hir formative years after s/he had first escaped the Empire. But with these reminders...

It still stunned hir to realize how Sosai X's use of religion could so strongly steer the Gallactor Empire to follow ITS designs. It was *sobering* to consider how IT had used religion to make their followers act contrary to their feelings.

S/he had once thought the Empire an evil thing which s/he wanted to destroy. After s/he had first escaped hir watchers, s/he had pledged hir life to bring it down for forcing the abomination of life upon hir. S/he had been determined to destroy them, starting with the closely guarded children of the Church. But it was not to be so.

When s/he was first captured in her second failed assassination attempt of the children, s/he had thought hir vendetta over. Then, Sosai X appeared and stole hir away from hir captors. In that night, Sosai X had revealed to hir the truth behind hir 'shameful' mutancy...

Hir ascension to the role that Sosai X had created for hir had proceeded with ridiculous ease. The events of that fateful day had moved too fast for even hir much vaulted mind to adjust with. S/he had gone from a freelance assassin to the Avatar in the space of a night with no more difficulty than changing hir clothes. S/he was accepted almost immediately as the new leader of the Gallactor Empire... All because Sosai X commanded his followers to accept it. And the entire nation had rejoiced for the 'return' of the lost child.

"I must accept him because my God tells me so." Katse mused to himself as a chill ran down his spine. "It was as easy as that. 'This is the word of the God. Thanks be to God'

"Humph, Sosai hadn't been above borrowing or rather subverting an established branch of one of the major religions of the world." He snorted to himself as he thought of the number of parallels Sosai X created in the 'Holy' books to cement ITS power in the Empire. It was a no wonder that some fundamentalists had considered the war a religious war.

If s/he hadn't been so shell shocked by the course of events then, s/he would probably have collapsed in hysterical laughter when Sosai X presented hir to the children s/he had tried to kill the day before. Curiously, the children did not recognize Katse, nor even remembered the attempts on their lives. They accepted hir as their Master without question. Katse had to admit that s/he hadn't been quite sure what to make of the siblings then. But s/he didn't have to worry too much since their training and development had long been mapped out for service under him. All s/he needed to concern hirself with was the leadership of the Galactor Empire as its restored Avatar.

Though s/he could expect general genuflection all around, not everyone had been happy with the return of the Avatar. The high priest for one had been harshly torn by the revelation.

Elkezel was very fond of the Ravens. This was the first thing Katse noticed in him that fateful day, when the adolescent Ravens were formally presented to him. He knew that the saintly old man had recognized him as the escaped would-be-assassin who had tried *twice* to kill the Siblings. There was an underlying expression of outrage in the High Priest's eyes at the twist of fate which revealed that the creature who had attempted to kill his charges turned out to be the 'returned child' and the Avatar.

The High Priest had hovered almost obtrusively nearby for the first several months of Katse's ascension to the throne. And later, he had definitely been upset the night Katse first brought them to his bedchambers, though he did not stand in the way. Katse had no false pretenses that the man was as devoted to him as he was to the Siblings. He knew that Elkezel was only dedicated to the *office* of the Avatar.

And yet, despite his affection for the Ravens, the High Priest had come to him to try and suggest that he kill the Ravens to avert Armageddon. That was troubling... But Katse just... could not seriously believe that the separation of his Ravens would create such an impact on the world.

A flush of irrational jealousy suffused him again. Were they, in this case, so much more important than he was? He could understand how the separation of his Ravens cause them distress, but for it to jolt the world?

"Enough, Berg Katse. You have more important things to think of," he chided himself angrily.

There were other more important concerns to devote his time to, then to worry needlessly over some 'prophet of doom' statement. It was time for him to check on his Condor.

Concern for his Ravens filled his heart again as he made his way to the command chambers. The youth had looked extremely haggard at breakfast, and Katse noticed that he only picked at his food.

*~*~*~*~*

Count Helm Egobossler was just plain confused. He knelt beside the pale, feverish figure, willing him to awaken as he gently wiped the perspiration from his face.

{How had they come to this? Why was Raven 1 suddenly so ill?} These questions repeated endlessly in his mind as he awkwardly tried to tend to the sick Raven.

Helm's mind again drifted back to the events that had just recently passed upon Raven 1's return to camp. No matter how many times he went through the sequence, he could scarcely begin to understand what had transpired or even what it meant.

> They had had to admit that the malfunctioning distress beacon was a lost cause. So, there was nothing more they could do but to salvage as much as they could from the escape pod and hold up until a rescue party discovered them. It had been quiet, uncomfortable labor as they worked to strip the pod of anything deemed useful. Raven 1 made no mention of the events of the previous night, or even of what transpired that morning. And Helm had felt too uncomfortable to raise them himself. Helm still couldn't pinpoint when it had suddenly degenerated into a crisis.
> 
> The escape pod was much too heavy for them to move physically, but it was easy for Raven 1 to employ his telekinesis to move it closer to camp. Helm had first thought nothing of the various small objects which had started to float around them, except to wonder why Raven 1 was so openly using his telekinesis when he was normally very succinct in its use.
> 
> Then the first branch landed near the pale youth.
> 
> "If you want my attention, you could just call me, Count." Raven 1's voice was icy as he continued to work without turning in Helm's direction.
> 
> "But--I--I didn't throw..."
> 
> A wrench landed on Raven 1's shoulder. This time his head snapped up and looked around in alarm. There were more objects in the air. Each item inexorably starting to fly towards the confused Raven.
> 
> They started to hit him with a vengeance, the objects gathering speed and increasing in size and bulk as Raven 1's telekinetic shields failed him and he ineffectively tried to fend them off. Helm had sprung to his assistance with his laser gun blazing. But there seemed no end to the onslaught. And *who* was attacking them? Why was the attack focused on Raven 1?
> 
> Then disaster struck when Helm missed a particularly large piece of debris and his gun hand was struck a numbing blow. The laser gun fell uselessly from his hand and the poltergeist activity increased to a fear-numbing intensity.
> 
> Helm could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the pale hand reach for and pick up the gun. It was no secret within the Empire that Raven 1 refused to use firearms. It was rumored that he had a phobia about even touching a firearm. Yet, it was Raven 1 who now lifted Helm's laser gun with practiced skill. It was Raven 1 who coolly aimed and shot down each of the flying objects with chilling precision.
> 
> The poltergeist activity ended abruptly, leaving Helm staring at an unperturbed Raven 1 as he caressed the gun in his hand like a beloved pet. Helm had to admit to a chill which gripped his heart as he studied the expression of sneering savagery which occupied Raven 1's face. He hadn't known what to say then, when the expression faded to be replaced by a blank, almost absentminded neutral expression that changed quickly to horror and revulsion when Raven 1 became aware of the gun he was caressing.
> 
> "What--?" Raven 1 trembled as he flung the gun away as far away from him as possible, helped in no small part by a boost of his telekinesis.
> 
> Unfortunately, Raven 1 had clearly not been thinking straight when he threw the gun away. He had not engaged the safety of the laser gun before he threw it, and it landed in the small pile of munitions that they had so recently recovered from the escape pod.
> 
> The resulting fireworks and explosions had been deafening though essentially harmless since they were at a safe distance away. But Raven 1's immediate reaction was shocking.
> 
> He screamed. He *actually* screamed in stark white terror, and cowered from the sight before collapsing in a faint.

That had been hours ago. Raven 1 hadn't woken up since.

Helm didn't know what to think. It was much too confusing.

*~*~*~*~*

The Condor paced around the room as the nervous generals continued to bring him report after report of failure. Katse studied his remaining Raven with growing concern. The Condor was starting to take on an unhealthy pallor. His irritability had grown exponentially in the last few hours. And the generals were becoming more skittish than a hunted deer as they bunched together for 'safety'.

Very little was spoken in the room now. The silence was only punctuated by the hard steps of Raven 2 as he continually paced. Any break in the silence attracted Raven 2's immediate attention, and the generals actively did not want his attention now.

But it wasn't long before Raven 2 broke the silence. "Will you all shut up! And how dare you suggest that I am going mad within my hearing?!"

Katse's jaw dropped. They had all been completely silent. The generals had not even attempted to talk among themselves. The general whom Raven 2 rounded upon had paled and shrunk back among his companions in fear and shock.

Raven 2 had also stumbled backwards as understanding dawned on him and he clamped his hands over his ears. He had been unconsciously reading their minds. The physical silence was no longer apparent to him. The chatter he was hearing was from their minds.

"No! Shut up! Shut up! Get away from me! Get away!"

The generals did not need any more encouragement to flee. Katse didn't follow them. Condor startled slightly as Katse's arms closed around him in a hug.

"K--Katse-sama? I--I didn't hear you?" The frightened youth clung to him. "Why didn't I hear you? I heard everyone else. It's gotten so noisy. Voices everywhere... I didn't mean to overhear..."

"Shhh, it's okay, Joji. I'm here. As for why you can't hear my mind? Maybe it's something Sosai built," Katse murmured into his hair. "It's never been easy for you to read my mind, remember?"

"Don't--unless you ask..." Joji looked up from Katse's shirt towards the door. "Someone's coming--a maid--to change flowers. Please send her away. Send them all away..."

"I will, Joji." Katse led him to the table to sit him down. "Why don't I call for some lunch? We can sit and talk awhile?"

Joji nodded as Katse pressed him into the cushioned chair. Katse couldn't recall ever seeing either of his Ravens looking so frightened or vulnerable before. Unbidden, the passage that the saintly old priest had quoted to him pushed its way to the forefront of his thoughts again.

> > _[So shall the spirits scream rage for the affront of the trinity sundered. As madness cries, the lands upheave, and the oceans begin to boil. One in spirit return to me. MY words shall be heard through MY Chosen. Take heed, yea citizens upon whom MY light shall shine._
>> 
>> _[Hasten yea to restore the order. Hasten yea, least I take displeasure with thee and remove MY presence to bring Armageddon upon the forsaken earth.]_

{'As madness cries...'} Katse turned that phrase over in his mind again as he approached the door to try and intercept the maid. But he was a bit too late.

"Hail Avatar, scion of the living God." The maid fell to her knees at the door in awed surprise to meet him.

"Rise, child. Leave us for now. Ask the kitchen to send up the afternoon meal and spread the word in the household that they are forbidden to approach this room unless I give prior leave."

"Y--yes, Holy Avatar. I--I did not mean to cause offence by my presence. I--I had only wanted to change the flowers." The maid trembled as she held up the vase of red roses to him.

"You have no--"

"ASSASSIN!"

Katse flung himself away from the maid in shock, thinking that they were under attack. The maid screamed as the vase disintegrated in her hands. But she was allowed to flee unharmed.

Katse would have turned to Joji for an explanation if his eyes had not been immediately drawn to the shower of rose petals which materialized before him.

"ASSASSIN!"

"ASSASSIN!"

At each cry, a shot would hit the heart of a rose blossom, sending the pulverized red petals raining like confetti around the room. Raven 2's aim was unerring.

Before the last rose was destroyed, Katse was at Joji's side with his arms reaching around him to try and wrest the gun from his hands. "Joji! Joji! It's not an assassin! Calm down! Joji!"

But Joji didn't seem to hear him. His eyes were wide in terror and fear as he stared at the rose petals which adorned the floor.

{'As madness cries...'} Katse could feel the stirrings of fear within him now. {Dear lord, what have I caused?}


	5. What Child is This?

Helm kept one eye on the silent Raven 1 as he tended to the fire. They still had not spoken of the events which preceded Raven 1's faint, though the pale youth had expressed guarded thanks for Helm's efforts in bringing down his fever.

He consciously tried not to remind Raven 1 of the terror he displayed. Now that he had the time to consider it, he should not have been surprised. The Lady Eagle possessed a phobia of fire. It was a little known fact and most would otherwise dismiss it as an untruth. Helm might have dismissed it himself, if he had not witnessed it once.

Most times, she was able to control this fear. However, in the incident he had witnessed, they had been caught in a burning building and surrounded on all sides by flames. As he thought back to that event, Helm recalled that he did stress her condition that day, by removing her from the Avatar and her sister's presence for a long period. Just as he was now strained by their separation and the sudden loss of control over his telekinesis.

His original intention for keeping her in his company that day was to woo her over to his side. She had appeared, at first, receptive to his advances, but as the day wore on an unmistakable tension had built within her. The unexpected attack by the Kagaku Ninjatai on their 'secret' installation threw the rest of the day into chaos.

She had been frozen in terror when the flames surrounded them on all sides. Her mind had shut down and her whole being was unresponsive to any stimuli. Months later, Helm wondered if he might have been tempted to abandon her, if she had not been so important to his plans. Encumbered by the unresponsive figure in his arms, he had been in fear of his own life to escape the inferno.

Only the timely arrival of Raven 2 and the rescue forces saved their lives. This had been the first time that Raven 2 and Helm had congenially worked together. Raven 2 clearing a trail and a fire break for their escape, while Helm carried the Lady Eagle to safety.

He had believed then that Raven 2 was his rival as the Lady Eagle's lover. Helm's strategy was to tighten his hold on the affections of the Lady Eagle, however, the turn of events only served to heightened his jealousy of Raven 2. Now, he knew that belief to be false. But even viewed as a memory, it still rankled for Helm to recall how Raven 2 had firmly taken the Lady Eagle from his arms and departed.

Helm shook himself from his reverie, mindful that he could not burn lunch. Especially since he would not have the opportunity to hide the evidence as he did the previous night.

As he laid the fish fillets on a large leaf, Helm could not help but muse at their current strange state of affairs. He stole a quick glance back to where Raven 1 sat cleaning his blades, a picture of confidence and danger in repose. Yet how much of that was a sham? Was this an effort to throw off thoughts of vulnerability? Whatever action he was currently engaged in, Raven 1's skin looked gray and it was obvious to Helm that he was not well. Gender aside, Helm could not deny the growing concern within him for this pale youth. It--didn't seem to matter anymore... The Lady Eagle... Raven 1... Wasn't it the same person?

Helm looked back towards Raven 1 again as he turned away from the campfire and prepared to serve their lunch. Without the Blackbird-styled uniform, and with his shirt loosely draped over his shoulders, the resemblance could not be faulted.

{Fraternal twins.} He couldn't halt the mental snort as he watched Raven 1 lift his shinning dagger in his right hand. {We so love to explain things simply.}

Alarm bells crashed in his head when he saw Raven 1 lift his left arm towards the blade. Helm dived across the campsite to wrench the dagger away. As it was, his intervention came just in time to stop the blade from drawing more than a trickle of blood from Raven 1's left wrist.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Helm sheathed the blade placed it out of reach of Raven 1.

"Father hates me."

The tone of the voice rocked the count back on his heels. It--sounded almost childlike.

*~*~*~*~*

After the outburst that morning, Katse thought that it would be prudent for Raven 2 to be closeted in their apartments. The transport that would bring their pets was only 4 hours away. Katse reverently hoped that Jaeger and Charles could help calm Joji until they found his brother.

The psi dampers they had deployed around the room managed to at least depress the level of mental noise surrounding them, and reduce the cacophony to a buzz to Joji's 'ears'. But the stress imposed by the dampers was still considerable, though more welcomed than the constant noise.

However, Katse worried that the inactivity would drive Joji insane, perhaps even hastening his current rate of deterioration. But isolating him was much more preferable than to have him accidentally fry the mind of one of their generals.

Katse shuddered as he recalled the one and only time he had witnessed his darker Raven reach out with his mind to sear the brains of an enemy. He had had little sympathy for Dr. Finger then since he had dared to threaten Katse's authority, and almost got away with taking over Katse's own mind to use him like a puppet.

It was fortunate for Katse that the Ravens had realized something was wrong with their Avatar and tracked Finger down to confront him. The air had been crackling with psychic energies that day when Raven 2 displayed his superior powers over the mechanical enhancements Dr. Finger used. The moment the helmet overloaded and sputtered to its death, the psi shields died and the doctor had been engulfed in flames.

That had been a frightening moment. Raven 2's powers had almost run out of control, but with his sibling beside him, he had gotten them in check again.

The danger was there again. Joji was almost glowing with psychic energy when Katse dragged him into their apartments. The psi dampers were at least doing their job at holding down his powers.

Katse looked up from his papers to check on Joji as he sat at the dressing table cleaning his guns. At least that activity could keep his hands busy and distract him from the stress he was under, though it was an activity that was guaranteed to annoy his brother, if he was there to see it.

Raven 1--Ken was barely tolerant of his brother's obsession with guns and would rather not have them in their bedroom. At least Joji had bothered to clear the table of their makeup and other personal objects before he began stripping the gun down to its component pieces. When and how that particular dislike came about, Katse didn't know. It remained one of the mysteries he could not solve from the various notes and files he salvaged of the Ravens' formative years.

Katse sigh in relief to notice that Joji's hands had stopped shaking as he settled into this mundane activity. It had taken him a long time to calm the youth after the episode with the roses. Roses... another of those mysteries finally coming to light.

> "ASSASSIN!"
> 
> "ASSASSIN!"

The words rang in his head again as the images of falling rose petals were imprinted in his mind. Katse was aware that Raven 2 hated red roses, but until then, he never understood why. Was it a half-faded memory of an *assassin* then? One who used red roses--

Katse crushed the report in his hands. Rose bombs, the Devil Stars used them once... As did he. Was that how Sosai first got ITS claws into the siblings? Were they part of a happy family then, when IT sent in ITS female assassin squad to kill the parents and take the boys? Who did it? Did he know the assassin? There were so many jobs... so many hits... did he do it himself? Would Joji know?

"Bang! Dead."

Katse turned at the sound to study the blue garbed youth sitting at the dresser. Joji made no move to indicate he was aware of his Avatar's scrutiny. Katse withheld a sigh to note that he appeared relatively happily engaged in--

"Bang! Dead."

Katse's eyes widened. Joji's hands were moving randomly among the various pieces of his dismantled handgun.

"Bang! Dead."

Until that moment, it had not registered to Katse that Joji was now raising various pieces, pointing them at his reflection in the mirror and crying out.

"Bang! Dead."

The voice, he noted, sounded somewhat different. Childlike even, but it was undoubtedly Raven 2. Critically judging the movements, Katse could see that he was pantomiming the aiming and shooting of a handgun.

"Bang! Dead."

Suddenly, one of the reports Dr. Rafael had left behind became starkly clear.

Katse eased the reports away from him and moved forward cautiously.

"Bang! Dead."

"Hello?" he called softly, trying not to startle the new entity before him.

Joji jerked slightly and turned towards him as if noticing him for the first time. A gamut of emotions played over his face. Though only a few which Katse could immediately identify; surprise, fear, suspicion...

"H-hello."

"My name is Katse. What's your name?"

An uneasy shiver tingled down Katse's spine as the youth screwed up his face in thought of whether or not to surrender his name.

"Mommy and daddy said I shouldn't talk to strangers."

Katse thought fast. From what he knew of Multiple Personality Disorders, it was important that he win the trust of this entity and somehow convince it to talk. From there, they could garner information about the past event that might have cause the personality to be formed.

"That's very good advice, but isn't it different with a superior officer?"

"D-Daddy did say he has to follow the commands of his sup--superiors."

"Yes, that's right. Can I show you something?"

"If you want."

Katse drew out a badge which he used when on undercover missions.

"Do you recognize this?"

"I know! I know what it is!"

It was breaking Katse's heart to see the expression of glee on Raven 2's face as he clapped his hands and squealed like a child.

"Daddy showed me the pictures. It's an inse--insu--in--"

"Insignia?"

"Yeah! Yeah! You're a commander! You're a high ranking office in the army!" Joji quickly grew quiet, his expression changed from excitement to awe. "I'm sorry. I'm not being very respectful to your rank."

"That's okay. I'll let it go for now since I didn't openly display my insignia. Do you think it's all right to talk to me now?"

"I--I guess so."

"What's your name?"

"Giorge, Giorge Asakura. But my family calls me Joji."

{His real name! But--this--this can't be a created personality!}

*~*~*~*~*

The pale hand reached for the dagger again. Helm firmly but carefully took both hands in his and sat in front of Raven 1 to examine him. Dead eyes looked back at him, the depths of depression and worthlessness seemed sunken into the sapphire blue eyes. Helm shook his head in disbelief, this wasn't Raven 1 or even the Lady Eagle. The entire carriage of the youth was of defeat and... despair.

With sudden clarity, Helm recalled the expressions that played across Raven 1's face earlier that morning. He had displayed mocking cruelty when cradling his laser pistol, when it was known that Raven 1 *never* used handguns. Another memory from the past forced itself to the fore; of two little girls with a multitude of names, who later adopted only one name...

{Multiple personalities? Is that it? To be separated causes enough of a strain that multiple personalities can rise?} "I--I'm sure that that's not true. Why--why would your father hate you?" Helm asked cautiously.

"He told mother to kill me."

Helm's blood went cold at the simple statement. {What--what monster--?} "Y--you must have misheard him."

"No. Mother--mother did try. She tried to kill me." Tears started to roll down the pale face. "She kept telling me that I had to be brave, that she'd be with me again soon..."

Helm quickly shifted his position, at the same time moving Raven 1's sword out of his reach without relinquishing his hold on the pale wrists. He pulled Raven 1 closer so that the he would lean back against his chest.

Helm initially flinched away from Raven 1's white hair until he realized that he could not have woven blades or burrs in the loose locks. He had paid the price once with the Lady Eagle's braids, almost slicing his questing hand to the bone.

"Oh, ick! Did you get blood on my braid?" She had swung it in front of herself to check as he stood, clutching a bleeding hand in shock. "You really shouldn't let your hand stray where it isn't invited, my dear count."

She had taken his hand in her own then and gave him his first demonstration of her healing powers. Before his eyes, the bleeding had stopped and the tears in the flesh closed, not even leaving the faintest trace of a scar.

Now though, it was safe for him to stroke the silky, white shoulder-length hair if he so inclined. Sadly, his hands were needed elsewhere, so Helm contented himself to rubbing his chin on the white mop of hair.

But what else could he do? Helm only understood that he had a suicidal child in his arms right now, a child that could not be left alone. To think that this was also the stable Raven 1 frightened him. With his arms in position to hold the lithe figure in a gentle hug, Helm cautiously prompted him to continue speaking.

"I must have done something very bad to make father hate me."

"No, I'm sure you misunderstood him. Why don't you tell me what happened? Why do you believe your father hated you?"

Raven 1 shifted uncomfortably in his embrace.

"You can tell me. I won't tell anyone else." Helm murmured into his hair gently. "Maybe we can find out why you think your father hates you? Will you tell me what happened--when your mother tried to kill you?"

The pale youth was quiet for a while and Helm thought that he wouldn't answer. Then, the soft childlike voice rose again.

"The house was burning when--when mother was killing me. There was so much smoke--I was coughing so bad--and mother reached for me and--and started squeezing my neck. She was squeezing me so hard I couldn't breathe. She was killing me--just like father told her to."

"But she didn't kill you. You're here--safe with me. She didn't kill you."

"No, she couldn't. She stopped and just cried and hugged me. She kept telling me 'sorry' and that--and that--she couldn't kill me like father said she should."

"Then she took you out of the house?"

"No. The doors were burning, even the windows. There was fire everywhere. There was so much smoke--I was coughing so bad."

{With these memories... little wonder you have a fear of fire.} "Then what happened?"

"She kissed me. Told me I needed to be brave--I ran away from her--She shouted at me--but--but I didn't dare go to her. I--didn't want mother to squeeze my neck again."

Helm pulled Raven 1 on his lap and kept his arms around him in a hug...trying--willing him to feel the warmth and support he offered. It heartened him to feel Raven 1 begin to respond by relaxing into his embrace.

"Something fell between us. There was fire all around me--fire and smoke. I was so scared. It hurt--everything was so hot." The childlike voice had fallen into a whisper as he shuddered from the memory.

Helm tightened his hug. "You're okay now, the fire won't hurt you anymore. Wasn't it a long time ago? You're safe with me."

"The fire hurt mother. She--she pulled me out of the fire. I--I thought she wanted to squeeze my neck again. The fire was on mother. On--on her clothes--her hair--I was scared of mother--

"She didn't touch me again. She just dived at the big window. I--I heard--stuff breaking, like--like someone was breaking firewood. Then it rained on me--only it didn't rain very long. Just a few drops.

"But it was a very funny rain. Have you ever seen red rain before? It was all sticky and smelled like--copper. I didn't like it. Normal rain is more fun.

"Mother never came back. The big window was open now but I couldn't see her anywhere. There was only the curtains burning on the porch and these pools of red rain. It was funny to see it bubble and turn black. Water doesn't do that, it only hisses and pops.

"I--saw father then. He--he was in the woods. He didn't want me--he saw me--I know he did. But he didn't want me. He--he must have been ashamed of me--ashamed that I wasn't brave enough to die. That mother didn't kill me--"

"No, I'm sure that's not true!" Helm had heard enough. The story was tearing at his heart. Without a doubt, his mind's eye could picture what had happened. The mother having thrown herself through the window was met by a hail of gunfire. The red rain was her blood splattering on her son. The burning curtains surrounded by pools of red were the dead mother and blood. For a child to witness all of this... Helm felt his stomach roil with nausea.

Another fact also pummeled its way into the forefront. From what little he understood of multiple personality disorders... If Raven 1 was telling him all this now... this--entity was the witness... it was... *This* boy was the one who lived before the trauma began that would mark the start of a child creating personalities to escape into. *This* was the *original* boy, the birth personality. So, Raven 1, the Lady Eagle--Kitty... the entity who was the right arm of the Avatar--that was--created.

*~*~*~*~*

Katse tried to cover his confusion. "Joji, y--do you mind that I call you 'Joji'?" At the youth's shake of his head, he pressed on. "You were pretending to shoot at someone just now. Can you tell me who that was?"

"The assassin. She shot my daddy an--and my little brother. I had a gun-- I picked up my daddy's gun--I was gonna shoot her--I was--but I didn't... I didn't..." Tears welled up in his eyes, spilling down his cheeks as if the flood gates had opened.

Katse opened his arms and took the sobbing youth into his embrace. "It's okay, the assassin didn't get you. You're safe with me."

"But Kenny--"

"Was that your brother's name?"

"I-I'm not suppose to say."

"Why?"

"Mommy and daddy said that we shouldn't use his real name."

"Why? You can tell me, I won't tell anyone else."

"They--well, they said it might put us in danger."

"Well, Joji. I'm a high ranking officer. I can protect you. So you don't have to worry about telling me this sort of thing. You can trust me."

"Really?"

"Officer's honor."

"B-but daddy said we're hiding from people like you. Oh--I shouldn't say--"

"Joji--"

"But Daddy's dead--an--and--mommy's gone. So it doesn't matter anymore--" A fresh flood of tears started.

Katse pulled him onto his lap and started to rock him gently. He surprised himself, he never realized how gentle he could be with a child. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me. Not now--"

"They're dead. They're all dead or gone. I'm all alone."

"Shh, you're not alone, Joji. You can stay with me. I'll take care of you."

"Really? Promise?"

"Of course I'll promise--" Katse remembered something he had once seen little children do and held out his right hand with his pinky extended. "I promise that I'll protect you."

Joji's face lit up when he saw the gesture and engaged his own finger with Katse's, curling his finger around it like a lifeline. They stayed locked in the grip for a long time.

"His real name is Ken."

"Pardon me?"

"My little brother. His real name is Ken. We called him Kenny. Well--he's not really my brother. He used to be my neighbor, but something bad happened and his parents had to go away. So he came to live with me and to be my baby brother.

"I really like him. But since that bad thing, he's always so sick and he hardly laughs anymore."

"Was he more cheerful before?"

"You bet! We were always getting into trouble together. Our moms would get so mad with us when we go blackberry picking because we'd get our clothes all torn up and dirty, but the berries would rot if we didn't go pick the bushes. And Kenny's mom would bake the bestest blackberry pie..." Joji grinned brightly.

"It sounds like you had a lot of fun growing up together."

"But Kenny hardly ever laughed after he came to live with us." Joji's expression turned sad again. "It would hurt too much. Daddy said that some bad man hurt him and his lungs don't work as good anymore. He's always out of breath. An--And his hair was going all funny and white. Mommy said that was because he was tra--tru--traumatized and under stress. Well, I told mommy and daddy I won't let anyone hurt him again. He's *my* baby brother bow. I'll protect him like a big brother should!"

After that outburst, Raven 2 became uncomfortably quiet.

"Joji? What's wrong? It sounds like you loved your little brother very much."

"I failed him. I promised him that I would protect him, but someone shot him when I wasn't with him. Him and daddy."

"Joji, I'm sure you did our best. You can't be expected to be with him all the ti--"

"I never left him alone. He needed me! I was always with him to protect him. But daddy sent me away with mommy. He said he needed to talk to Kenny alone. He said everything would be all right soon. But it wasn't!

"I saw--I saw that masked woman who shot them. I was gonna kill her! I had daddy's gun. But she threw something at me."

{A rose bomb.} Katse breathed.

"Then everything wen black. An--And I guess I died."

They fell silent again. Katse continued to hold him on his lap and rock him until he started to squirm from the inactivity.

"I wanna play."

Katse didn't know what to think when he released him. Just like that, the entire conversation was forgotten and the boy was distracted again.

Raven 2 returned to the dressing table to awkwardly push the pieces around the table top again. As Katse watched, the whole posture and body language changed. Confidence once more flowed through the hands which reassembled the gun with a practiced ease that belied years of study of the handgun.

After the gun was fully assembled and returned to his holster, Joji reached up to pinch the skin between his eyes.

"Do you have an aspirin, Katse-sama. I've got such a splitting headache."

"Of--of course..." Katse moved woodenly to the handy medical chest which he had asked for when Raven 2's mental imbalance had first made it self known and started searching through the stock.

Hearing the wariness in Katse's voice, Joji looked at him suspiciously. "Is something wrong?" Feeling the light tension on his face, he reached out to touch the dried tear tracks on his cheeks. "Was I crying? I don't remember--"

"Your mind was elsewhere. You were thinking of your brother."

"Oh, right."

Katse silently told himself that at first opportunity, he had to review Rafael's notes on this matter. In fact, he was going to re-read everything Rafael bothered to record on his Ravens. And *this* time, he was going to read it *carefully* instead of skimming over half the text.

Things he had previously dismissed as gibberish and the rambling of a mad scientist were all too uncomfortably beginning to make sense.

*~*~*~*~*

"He hated me for not dying," Raven 1 repeated quietly as Helm rocked him in his embrace.

"Shhh, that's not important. You have others who love you. We don't want you to die," Helm told him urgently. "Your father was wron--"

"No he isn't! He's the bestest father in the whole wide world!"

"Maybe he was mistaken? Maybe *you're* mistaken?" Helm struggled to find some logic to change the child's perception. "How about this--the fire was very big, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"It hurt you-- it hurt your mother..."

"Yes."

"It could have killed you and it would have hurt very bad..."

"Yes."

"What if, your father wanted your mother to kill you, so that the fire wouldn't hurt you so bad as it killed you?" Helm rushed his logic at the child mind. "What if your mother was trying to spare you the pain before she remembered another way out so that the fire wouldn't kill you?

"So you see, your father and mother didn't hate you. They just wanted to protect you from the fire. Your mother opened the big window, didn't someone reach in to take you out through it?"

"Yes. Daddy Giuseppe took me out. But father didn't come back for me. And mother didn't come back..."

"But Daddy Giuseppe loved you all the same, didn't he?" Helm latched on to the name. This was the first time he had heard the name, but he wasn't about to brush it off.

"He--he did. And Mommy Katarina and big brother Joji."

{Katarina? Joji? Again the names were unfamiliar, but maybe Raven 2? Could Joji be Raven 2?} "So you see. You are well loved."

"Really?"

"Of course, would I lie? I love you too. And your brother loves you and Katse-sama loves you. Sosai X must also love you."

"Who?"

{Oops, he must not know those names yet.} "More people love you than you think, little one. Even people who you've never met love you." That was partially true. As the Ravens, they commanded respect, admiration and the love of the general populace.

"But fathers and mothers are suppose to love you. My father and mother hat--"

{Okay, okay, he's fixated on his father hating him. You're not going to change his mind like this, Helm.} the count groaned inwardly, {Let's see if you can divert him again.} "My father didn't like me either, but I didn't care. I have other people who love me. You do too."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." Helm tightened his hug.

"You're not lying to make me feel better?"

{Oh, for the love of suspicious little boys...} "No, I'm not lying." Helm kissed him on the cheek, feeling him relax comfortably against him. "*I* love you. And it would make me feel very sad if you try and hurt yourself.

"Will you promise not to hurt yourself again?"

"No one car--"

Helm shook him firmly. "You weren't listening, little one. I love you. Your brother loves you..."

"Brother?"

{What was that name, Helm?} "J--Joe--Joji? Remember Joji? He'll be very sad if you hurt yourself. And *I*? I will be quite *devastated*!"

Raven 1 giggled at his tone.

"Promise me?"

"Really? You love me?"

"Yes. Yes, I love you, little one." Helm stroked Raven 1's shoulder gently. The pale face brightened at last and he snuggled tighter into the embrace.

Helm started to rock him gently, and it wasn't long before the gentle motion was enough to lull the pale figure to sleep. The silence gave Helm some time to muse over his words. In all sincerity, he meant it. He really meant it. Despite the gender changes... despite the strange mental imbalance that Raven 1 now displayed... he meant every word of it. He did love the lithe figure he now cradled in his arms.

But--how could he? What kind of love was that? Was it for a lover? No, wasn't this--love that he now displayed a protective love for a child in need? Wasn't it just compassion? {You shock yourself, you ol' bastard. Compassion? From you?}

Raven 1 stirred and stiffened when he found himself in Helm's tight embrace.

"Wha--Helm?"

Helm released the grip on his wrists but did not relinquish the embrace, though he did loosen the hold. "I--you looked like--you needed a hug from a--friend."

"Oh." Raven 1 reached up to touch the recently dried tear streaks on his face. "I--wasn't aware--thanks."

{So you *are* totally oblivious of the episode.} "D--don't mention it." Helm gently slid him off his lap and nonchalantly moved back to the campfire to retrieve the leaf with the grilled fish fillets. "Y--you're up in time for lunch."

Helm was well aware that the eyes that followed him were filled with curiosity and confusion. He wasn't sure if he was ready to confront his own confusion. {Damn it, Helm. Do you *really* love her--him?}

*~*~*~*~*

Katse searched frantically through the files on the data disk while keeping an eye on his dozing Raven. Joji had been reluctant to settle down for a nap, but Katse had insisted that he was mentally stressed and needed to take a rest. He sincerely hoped that his own agitation would not disturb his Raven.

The image of a red rose bomb disturbed his thoughts.

In hir 'hidden' years, in the period when s/he had escaped the empire to train hirself to bring it down, s/he had learned and trained with the best. Bitter irony it was that s/he had hidden hirself in plain sight, in Sosai X's own elite female assassins, the Devil Stars.

It had been so easy to ingratiate hirself with the commander of the squad, impress her with hir spunk and eagerness to learn. S/he was so tall and lanky then it was easy for hir to lie about hir age and invent a story of survival as a street rat. Hir boldness gave its rewards and s/he managed to firmly entrench hirself within the ranks of the Devil Stars.

Though s/he had learnt much under their tutorship, Katse was not proud of that time. Not especially when Sosai X later turned the assassin squad into a child enslavement unit. They had been trained not to question their targets, but the stress of it all... Killing parents... stealing the children for Sosai X's laboratories...

Deep inside, Katse knew that it *was* hir fault. S/he had run away and Sosai X was trying to recreate hir. S/he hadn't understood why then. But the number of children that would die in ITS experiments... The knowledge that s/he would in turn be determined to kill those that survived...

As time wore on and more children died, some within the Devil Stars began to falter in their resolve of their duties. S/he had faltered hirself once; hesitating at the critical moment for the boy to see her and bring the father's belated attention to hir--

Katse froze in the midst of his searching. His hands started to tremble.

{No, I cannot believe it to be true. A coincidence! It must be a coincidence!} The memory of that Devil Star mission flooded into him.

The man was the main threat, easily dispatched before he could bring his handgun into line. The boy with silver streaked brown hair had to be silenced before he alerted the last two pigeons in that little drama. At that time, s/he had thought nothing of winging the child to silence him. S/he had even briefly considered killing him, to spare him from Sosai X's experiments.

Then, s/he saw the flicker of shadows departing as the recoil of the gun kicked against her hand. The mother and the traitorous family's contact... the boy had done his part to warn them. S/he might have given chase if her attention had not been taken by yet another child. This second one, having seemingly appeared out of nowhere and now held his father's handgun braced in two hands like a pro.

> "You killed them!"
> 
> S/he had flicked the rose bomb at him irritatingly, upset that s/he had lost two of her main marks... "Save your hate for your traitorous father, child."

Katse shook his head {No! There were countless other families! All Devil Stars have the same armaments! Coincidence! It is coincidence, the accounts will appear so similar! We don't even know the names of our hits.}

He closed his eyes, trying to think of the children's faces. But he just could not think of what they looked like. All he could remember was a mop of brown hair beneath one boy's blue beret, and streaks of silver in the brown hair of the child s/he had shot.

*~*~*~*~*

Helm ignored the muttered grumbles as he settled the reluctant Raven 1 into his blankets for a nap. The fever had flared up again and Helm insisted that he take a rest. Helm tried to make it as painless as he could, he knew that Raven 1 hated to look so weak... and dependent. But they could no longer deny the evidence of Raven 1's failing health. As much as he hated it, Raven 1 didn't have the strength to carry on the charade any longer.

The poltergeist activity had not appeared again. Helm strongly suspected that one of the personalities Raven 1 probably carried in his head was the cause. That, or it could even be a slip of his control because of the strain he was under. Helm wasn't sure which scenario he preferred it to be.

Raven 1's pale skin looked so *gray*. A surge of protectiveness filled Helm as he gently wiped the hot skin of Raven 1's face with a cool towel. The blue sapphire eyes looked up at him blearily.

"Why are you helpin--?"

"We're--together, aren't we?" {And--I'm sorry--for what I said before.} He couldn't get the words out. He wanted so much to say them now, but he couldn't get his mouth to work.

Raven 1 closed his eyes and turned his head away. It wasn't long before his breathing grew steady as he drifted into exhausted sleep.

Why couldn't he apologize? Was his pride so great? Was his opinion any different? {It isn't natural! But does it matter? Does it *really* matter?} The blue skinned man was torn. {Analyze it, Helm! What do you feel? Is this affection for a sibling? A friend? A lover? Why do you feel like this around hir?

{What do you feel now? You're concerned for him... You want to protect him...} Helm closed his eyes and silently cursed at his own cleverness. This whole--mess came about because he wanted time alone with Raven 1 to sort out his feelings. Well, he had the time now... so why was he still so confused? Why couldn't he make up his mind?

*~*~*~*~*

Katse kept one eye on his sleeping Raven as he silently read the words of the electronic Journal. He cursed himself silently, wondering how he had been so blind not to see the warning stated so clearly before him.

> _Eagle slashed her wrists... How did this happen? I can only blame my own blindness for not noticing *their* distress sooner._
> 
> _Thank god, Condor felt her sister's distress, or we'd never have found her in time. The cuts were deliberate, across the wrists and purposely down the arm so that it would be more difficult to stop the bleeding. She lost so much blood, and yet she didn't even understand what had happened. I questioned her. It was a suicide attempt, yet she wasn't aware of what happened, and I believe her._
> 
> _I talked to them, their instructors, and the boys. I should have been warned. I should have taken notice! The name games... it's not a game. We've all been seeing the different personalities which these poor children created through their trauma under Sosai X's care. That--that DIM LIGHT BULB knew about it! I've never been so--so-- That STROBE LIGHT kept rebooting their minds from scratch--inevitably helping them to create new--_
> 
> _Damn! It doesn't solve anything to rant. I've already told the boys to choose a set of new names and call them nothing else but that. Maybe we can force an integration._
> 
> _Damn it! I don't know how to deal with this! I am not a psychologist! I hope--I pray--Sosai won't try to help. It doesn't want them to remember their past, and that's what we have to dredge up and confront them with if we want the fragmented personalities to come together. We'll be forcing it. I don't--I don't know-- God, I hope I know what I'm doing._

{You don't know what to do, Rafael?} Katse closed the file in despair. {I know even less.

{Elkezel? He was their guardian before they were released to me. Might he be able to he--? No. This was long before Rafael handed custody over to the church. Rafael must have succeeded in creating the stable personalities of Eagle and Condor. Otherwise, he wouldn't have released them into the care of the high priest. But I've never seen... then again, the Siblings have never been separated for so long, Katse. The strain must be fragmenting--}

Katse leaped to his feet in alarm. {Oh God, Eagle! If Joji is cracking--what of Ea--Ken? What of my little Eagle? What is he going through without us? Why haven't the soldiers found him yet?!}

He looked back at his remaining Raven, noting now that even in sleep Joji's expression was strained and he was beginning to look pale. His Eagle hadn't been well when he departed for that disaster of an inspection run, Katse knew that he must be feeling far worse. Only one hope stayed with him, that Ken was still alive. If he was dead... Elkezel's earlier suggestion reminded him that Joji would follow him into death.

His little Eagle was still alive. They had to keep hope alive that they could find him before it was too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be finished...eventually... 
> 
> I have too many notes to want to abandon this story.

**Author's Note:**

> The song the Lady Eagle sings is called 'When I Dream' Copyright (Theoret) Morning Music BI/Jando Music. In particular, the release by Carol Kidd, with the late Alex Moore on Guitar, from the album "All My Tomorrows"


End file.
